Digging Deeper Within
by smartkid37
Summary: When an ordinary spring day turns into anything but ordinary, one agent finds that his life will never be the same and that it's not so hard to dig deep within himself and find not only the strength to meet the new challenges but also to ask for help - even from the one person he's never asked for it from before.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_**_ This bunny bit me the other night - big. Not a terribly long one - but one itching to get out, nonetheless.  
Don't worry - the other wip's have not been forgotten or abandoned_

**WARNING:** _A bit of unpleasantness and OC Death within the 1st two chapters._

_and now...on to our story._

* * *

_March 23, 2012_

"…_.and we'll stay out and play, all __**night**__, right Daddy?" _

Tim McGee glances up at the high-pitched , excited chatter of a young child, smiling at the picture she and the man walking beside her make walking hand –in hand in the direction of the playground that's just below the next rise.

The child's father, with his well-kept black hair, thin build and easy-going manner, laughs genuinely as he looks affectionately at her and Tim can see he's proud of her, a preschooler whose hair matches his own excitedly skipping alongside him, holding his big hand with her little one. His eyes protectively scan the area, briefly crossing glances with Tim but quickly returning to his daughter as he answers her question, his voice carrying clearly through the air amidst the background noise of dogs barking and people talking. "No, Shyanne. We _can't _stay here all night, silly goose.

The NCIS Agent idly soaking up the sun on his lunch hour on this first Friday afternoon of spring, is mesmerized by the happiness that surrounds the pair, watching them as they pass him by with barely more than a glance from the little girl. It's a happiness that seems mixed with a hint of sadness Tim can't put his finger on and smiles at the disappointed look that crosses the little girl's face as she turns it up towards her father as she pleads her case. "Da…ddy, I am not a silly…..!"

Tim shifts on the bench, stretching his legs out in front of him, the sun glinting off the badge on his belt. He watches as unexpectedly, the beautiful little girl looks back over at him, her eyes riveted to the badge. _Of course! The way it's lit up by the sun now, it's no wonder she's seen it._

"Shyanne, what is it, honey?" Her father asks with concern as she tugs him in Tim's direction.

The little girl says nothing as she stops in front of the surprised NCIS Agent who embarrassingly looks at the girl's father.

"I'm sorry. It must be my badge. The sun probably caught it and brought it to her attention."

"It's okay. As long as you don't mind a little 5-year old admiration." The little girl's father replies good-naturedly, chuckling as he holds out his hand. "Andrew Edwards. And this little pest, is my daughter, Shyanne. Shyanne, find your manners please."

"Sorry, Daddy. Hi. What is that?" Her manners and inquisitiveness all come together in a rush of words as she points to Tim's belt where his badge is clipped.

Tim laughs. "Tim McGee, NCIS." He says to Andrew as he shakes his hand in return. "And it's fine. ' Turning to the little girl, he bends down at the knees so he can speak to her on her level. "Hi. My name is Tim. And_ this_ is my badge. I have to have it on for my job." He unclips his badge from his hip ad holds it out for her to touch.

In awe, Shyanne runs her fingers over the badge and looks back up at him. "It's so pretty."

Tim huffs out a laugh. "You think so?"

Shyanne nods. "Yes. Very pretty!" Turning to her father, Shyanne tugs at his hand. "Daddy is Tim a sss..tranger?"

Shaking his head, Andrew sits down on the bench, drawing his daughter up to his lap to explain things to her. "No Honey. _Mr._ Tim is a policeman. See his badge? That means when there's trouble – he's someone you go to for help."

"Oh. Okay. Can we go play now? Member, we're gonna stay and play _all_ night!"

Chuckling now, the father gently chucks the little girl under the chin. "I know I promised you could play after lunch. But that doesn't mean we can stay all day, munchkin. Now, say goodbye to Mr. Tim and we'll go play."

"Goodbye, Mr. Tim!" Shyanne shouts happily as she sprints away in excitement.

"Shyanne!" Andrew hollers at her firmly. "Stop!"

Freezing in mid stride, the little girl turns to face the wrath of her father. Surprisingly, he hasn't moved. "Come back here!"

"Da…ddy!" The little girl complains loudly without moving.

"Don't!" He warns her sternly.

Once she's retraced her steps and reaches her daddy's side, he reaches for her hand and asks her a question. "What's the rule?"

"Not 's'possed to run?"

"Heh. You can run outside, munchkin. "But you _can't _run off without an adult with you. Not supposed to leave me behind. Remember?"

"Sorry, Daddy."

"I forgive you, honey. But keeping you safe is too important for you to run off by yourself. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Can we go now? Please?"

Andrew turns to Tim. "Nice meeting you. Duty calls."

"What's duty, Daddy?" Shyanne asks bewildered.

Andrew laughs as he chases the subject back into less complicated waters. "Let's go play, Shyanne."

"Yea!" Pulling her father with her, the five year old laughs loudly in her excitement. Suddenly she stops and looks intently at her father. "Will Kira and Mommy be there, Daddy?" The little girl asks almost sadly.

Wiping a hand across his face, Andrew's face takes on the look of someone who's recently lost tragically in life.

"Daddy?" Shyanne pushes, her little voice sounding worried now that her daddy's not answering her.

"Shyanne, honey we talked about this, remember? Heaven? Where your mommy's daddy has been since before you were born and now where Mommy, Granny and Ki_ara_ and Gammy are, too?"

With tears shimmering in her eyes, Shyanne looks down at the ground. "Oh. I firgot…car acc…dent."

"That's right, honey." Andrew pulls his daughter to him and hugs her close, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's okay, Sweetheart. Sometimes, for a minute, I forget, too"

Her sunny disposition turned around, Shyanne plops herself down on the ground. "I don't wanna go without 'Kira' or Gammy! **sniffle** **sniffle** I want Mommy!."

"Oh Honey. I know this is the first time you're going to a playground without sissy. And I know Gammy played with you and Sissy all the time. But we need to try with just you and me anyway. Okay? We both miss mommy, but we have each other." Andrew tugs on her hand until she gives up and lets him pull her up to her feet. "C'mon I'll race you. Think you can run faster than me?"

"Yes! C'mon, Daddy!" Shyanne's gone from his grasp in a heartbeat and he's after her in a flash.

Tim watches in sadness mixed with mirth as the pair make good time crossing the grass towards the playground catching up to each other, rolling on the ground together and stopping to catch their breaths. He can't help but feel for the little girl and her loss of a sister and mother so early in her young life; not to mention; from the sounds of it, both grandmothers – and all at once, too. Lingering as if needing to see that they're going to be okay, Tim watches as they stand to their feet and stand still for a few moments, their voices carrying on the airwaves. "Wow, you _are_ fast!"

"C'mon, Daddy, let's do it again!"

"Oh, no, honey. Daddy' tuckered out! Let's just walk from here okay?"

Glancing around the park, Tim smiles at the pockets of people enjoying life to the fullest on this beautiful spring day. Scores of people lounging on the grass with a book or laptop in front of them, some spending time with their dogs on extended leashes as they play fetch with them without bothering anyone around them, while others, like himself, just sit there in peace, enjoying the weather while they can.

Getting to his feet, he sighs. It's time to get back to work. It might be a slow day with Ziva and Tony away on a case and Abby on vacation, but it's still a work day for him and he really doesn't need the boss mad at him for something as preventable as being late from lunch. Tim takes one last glance in the direction that Andrew and his daughter are headed before he turns to leave. Funny, while the pair is still visible, there's no other kids coming or going from that direction. The only person around them is that one tall guy jogging the trail. Oh well. The playground _is _kinda fun when it's not crowded.

Turning away, Tim slowly heads back in the direction of the parking lot where he parked his car, sending up a silent prayer that that little girl's life know only happiness and joy from here on. It sounds like she's already had enough sorrow and heartbreak to last her a lifetime.

**************NCIS******************

""I waited all day, Daddy! C'mon!" Shyanne remembers thinking this morning that she wanted to come here. She's bubbling with excitement now. Her momentary voyage back into grief over her mommy and little sister's fairly recent deaths, pushed aside by her five-year old's mind attraction to all things fun and spending time playing with Daddy.

"Shyanne, there's plenty of daylight left you know. We don't have to hurt ourselves trying to get there faster, ya know."

Finally, they're going to the playground! She's been waiting all day! Glancing around, she noticed lots of people here at the place Daddy said was a park. She didn't see any slides yet or very many kids her size. She notices a man walking fast coming from out of the woods up ahead. He's too far away for her to recognize him but she does like how fast he's walking. _One day I'll walk that fast just to see how much fun it really is_. In typical short attention-span thinking, her mind goes back to Mr. Tim's badge. She liked Mr. Tim and she liked his badge. But, she's happy to finally be going where she's been wanting to go and she can't get there fast enough. She pulls harder on Daddy's hand.

"Shyanne, it's okay! Slow down!"

As her eyes came back to her daddy walking beside her, Shyanne sees the fast moving man again as she hears her daddy's direction to slow down. Somehow, he's gotten a_ lot_ closer already! Feeling different all of a sudden, Shyanne steps back closer to her daddy. She doesn't know that man who's now wearing a funny looking mask over his face with holes for his eyes, nose and mouth, but he looks like he's coming right at Daddy - fast and her and for some reason he makes her feel the need to be as close to Daddy as she can be.

"Thank you for slowing down, sweetie." Andrew tells his daughter, his eyes scanning the park to his left.

No one's gonna knock her daddy down! Stepping in front of her father, Shyanne stops and waits. The man will have to move away from daddy now!_ Why is he wearing that over his face, anyway? _

"Whoa, honey!" Andrew exclaims as she steps in front of him, forcing him to step on her little feet. "Honey! What's the….umph!"

Knocked to the ground along with the man who'd run into them _and_ her daddy, Shyanne has no air with which to scream. She can't breathe. Her heart's beating loudly in her chest and everything hurts! The pain all over from falling feels terrible and Daddy must be hurt too because he's not getting up. Finally her breath comes back and she sends it back out in a terrified scream that rips through the air _"Daddy!_ **DADDY!"**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_ Name and description of the park - mine._

_OC Characters - are mine (Literally - Shyanne is my granddaughter - Andrew is her father) Last names have been changed to protect the innocent._

_Also - a bit of A/U applied to the family status of my OC's. Thankfully - None of the story's deceased are gone in real life._

_Oh - and the discrepancy in the little sister's name - belongs to Shyanne. (Literally) She calls her Kira - and we attempt to correct her by pronouncing with the emphasis on the part she gets wrong. "Kiara"  
_

* * *

_"DADDY!_ **DADDY!"**

His heart stops at the terrified screams of a child. The coincidence is too damning – the fact that he's _just_ left the presence of a child with her father – and now this heart-wrenching… Tim whips around and freezes in horror. Even from here, he can distinguish the figure of five year Shyanne, terrified and screaming on the ground in a heap, next to the still form of her father laying motionless at her feet, the jogger standing over the fallen man, reaching out to him with, wait is that something in his hand?. Without further hesitation, Tim's off like a shot in their direction, trying to get there faster than his feet can carry him. **"Hey!"**

_*******NCIS*******_

The man who she'd just seen walking fast from the woods, now stands over her daddy and bent down to say something to him. There's something in his hand but she doesn't know what it is. With her hands and knees hurting from where she'd fallen, her tears come on their own and for a minute her eyes are on her own boo-boos and not on her daddy so she doesn't see the push the object closer to her daddy's chest and pull the trigger or see him leave. But Daddy's still not moving and that is very scary! Turning her eyes back to his still form, her fears take over because what's even scarier is that his white shirt is turning red now. Even as she hears Mr. Tim yell out in the distance, Shyanne yells out. **"Daddy, get up!"**

_*******NCIS*******_

He can't be in two places at once he realizes as the jogger takes off in the opposite direction from Tim, moving too fast for him to be easy to catch. Besides the fallen man's life is more important right now. Tim's heart is up in his throat even before the next fear filled scream from the distraught preschooler rents the air.

"_**Daddy, get up!"**_

Dropping to his knees at the little girl's side, he tries to calm her as he looks the downed man over. "Okay, Shyanne. Mr. Tim's gonna help. Sssh Calm down, okay?" Spotting the quickly growing spot of red on the man's shirt, he whips out his phone and speed dials 9-1-1 with one hand, tucking the phone under his chin as he shrugs out of his light windbreaker and uses it to apply pressure on the wound.

"Timothy McGee, NCIS Agent. I'm at McArthur Park, got a man down – looks like he's been shot. He's on the hill right before the dip where the playground sits. Hurry please!"

Snapping his phone shut, he glances at Shyanne as he applies pressure to the fallen man's wound. "What happened, honey?"

"HIM!" Shyanne yells angrily as she points with her middle finger, towards the retreating jogger who, for some reason seems to have slowed down as if maybe he's thinking he's gotten away with this. At this moment the guy is whipping the ski-mask from his head while stuffing his hand into his pocket as he walks fast, heading toward the parking lot. Storing that in his memory, Tim quickly returns his attention to the man needing medical attention. "C'mere, Shyanne. Daddy needs your help okay?" He distracts her with what's more important.

"Okay." The little girl steps even closer to her daddy.

"Push down with both hands right here. Okay?" He looks at her little hands and thinks better of it. "No. better yet, _sit_ here on top of my jacket. This is _very _important, Honey. _Don'_t wiggle and _don'_t get up, okay?' Seeing her hesitation, he reassures her. "Honey, you won't hurt him. He _needs_ you to sit on this right now, okay?"

"Okay." She answers, her voice small, scared and heart-breaking.

"Good girl. ll be right back." Tim encourages her, hoping she'll fall in with what he's saying and actually move real soon because time's wasting. "I need you to stay right there until I get back. Okay?" He really wants to catch the bastard who did this but not at the expense of Andrew's life.

"You're leaving me?" She cries pitifully without moving any closer to her daddy's wound.

"No! I promise, I'm not leaving you. But, I have to catch the bad guy who did this okay? I _promise _I'll be right back." Tim looks at her pleadingly.

"_Gammy _says a handshake means you keep your word." Shyanne says firmly. Her eyes brimming with tears.

"I'll handshake on it, sweetie – but I have to run fast to catch him first okay? Hurry, help Daddy now while I'm gone. Okay?"

"Get him, Mr. Tim! He hurt my daddy!" She encourages him as she sits down beside his hands on the downed man's chest.

"Good Girl." Tim adjusts her position so she's sitting directly on the wound and holding back the bleeding. He steps back, taking time enough only to pull his backup weapon out of his sock before giving chase. "Remember, don't wiggle or get up. Okay?"

"I know. Mr. Tim. I know. Daddy, it's okay. Mr. Tim's gonna catch the bad guy and you'll be okay." Shyanne announces firmly, her eyes plastered to her daddy's face. "Right? Daddy? _Daddy_?"

With the five-year old's heartfelt words in his ear, Tim's gone, once again his heart up in his throat as his anger pumps energy into his strides. Damn it, this bastard needs to be brought to his knees for doing something like this! He pours all of his training into his motions as he works hard to gain some ground on the quickly moving culprit

Thankfully, the guys not actually running so it's not long before Tim's within range. He aims his weapon, and shouts at him. "NCIS! STOP!"

Startled, the man turns around. Immediately looking back in the direction of the fallen man, he starts laughing. In fact, he's soon laughing so hard, he's literally doubled over from the effort and Tim's handcuffed him before he even realizes it.

"You think it's funny, to shoot a man in front of his 5 year old daughter?" Tim snaps off angrily.

"Hell yeah it was funny. They call it a silencer for a reas…wait, _what_ did you say? 5 year …. Oh, Jesus… I didn't even see her there! Oh, my God! Shy!" Now, the dirt bag is no longer laughing. In fact, he genuinely looks horrified.

"What kind of a person does that in front of a child?" The NCIS Agent demands. "You expect me to believe you didn't hear her or see her walking next to him?"

"I didn't _see_ her there, man – I swear! All I saw was red! Oh, my God I tripped over her and didn't even realize it!"

"Why would you…wait…you _know_ them?" Tim demands in bewilderment. The man's use of a nickname for the 5 year old screams of personal vendetta against her father, the intended target. Taking a second look, Tim realizes not only that, but the relationship between this guy and the victim is unmistakable. They have to be related somehow, they look too much alike not to be. It turns the fire up on Tim's anger into white hot fury. "What kind of person _does _this to someone they know – e_specially_ if they have kids?"

Glaring back at Tim now, the guy has one thing to say. "I want a lawyer!"

*********NCIS*******

Shyanne is surprised by the arrival of lots of people, all at once – some wearing blue clothes and some wearing white clothes. Only two of them try to talk to her at once though. Still it's confusing as the one wearing white tries to make her get off her daddy's chest and the one wearing blue tries to ask her questions she doesn't understand. Finally, she can't take it anymore. "UH _HHH_! _**MR. TIM!"**_

"He's lucky I shot him. I _was_ gonna gut him like a fish!" The guilty man spits out angrily, as if suddenly angered enough to revoke his right to remain silent.

Jerking on the man's handcuffed wrists, Tim hurries him back toward the downed man and his distraught daughter as the little girl's panicked shout for him rents the otherwise calm afternoon. "Do NOT say that in front of that little girl!"

Tim pushes his handcuffed criminal into the hands of the first metro cop he sees on the scene; issuing him an order –"Read him his rights! And DON'T let him go anywhere near that little girl or _say_ anything to her!"

"**No! I'm helping Daddy! Mr. Tim said so!" **Shyanne's belligerent tone is loud and strong.

Sprinting towards her, Tim returns to the crowd of cops and E.M.T.'s surrounding Shyanne to find her staunchly refusing to cooperate with the E.M.T. trying to help her father.

"_No! Mr. Tim told Shyanne to stay right here!"_ She cries as strong arms attach themselves and attempt to lift her from her father's chest. "Daddy, get up!"She wails as she uses her hands to push on her daddy's unmoving arm.

"Let her go!" Tim requests firmly, his tone bordering on fury. "Let me talk to her."

The uniformed people step back but not far. Time is of the essence here. "Hurry."

"Mr. Tim!" Shyanne's relief is heart-breaking as her small arms reach for him, tears running down her already tear-streaked face. "They tried to make me move, but I told them…"

"I know, sweetheart, I heard what you told them. And you did a great job sitting on Daddy's wound, okay? But these people in white? They're here to help Daddy, now. Okay? You can come with me and let them take care of Daddy right away, okay?" Tim picks her up, but set her down on her feet, holding onto her hands, bending down at the knees and looking into her eyes as he speaks to her "It's their job. And we need to let them. Now, I owe you a handshake, don't I?"

"Yes! You do!" Shyanne replies firmly, her little hand going to her hip in a Prima Dona stance that has Tim's mouth quirking into a grin.

Putting his hand out, he welcomes her own hand in a genuine handshake.

"This is how Gammy promised things." She announces proudly as she keeps her hand in his for a minute longer.

"Gammy kept her word to you." Tim marvels on her level.

"To me and Kira - all the time!"

"That's important. Right?"

"Yes! Even Mommy and Daddy said that. Kira too!" Her eyes move back to her father as the downed man now laying on a medic's gurney is rolled toward the walking path. "They're taking my daddy?" Shyanne's tone is becoming agitated and louder as things in front of her keep changing. "Where are they taking Daddy?"

"Honey, it's okay. I promise you. They're like doctors. Okay? They're helping him but they have to get him to place where there are _more_ doctors. Okay?"

"But, he's okay, right?" She asks Tim point blank. Her eyes demanding the truth.

"I'm not going to promise that, honey because I don't know. That's _their_ job. To help him. So we have to _let _them, okay?"

"But you said it's okay!" She argues angrily.

"Honey, I said it's okay for them to help him. Because it's their job and we need to let them do it." Tim gently reminds her. "I'm not making you any promises I can' keep. Okay?"

"Okay." She whimpers. "Don't leave me?"

"C'mere." He encourages as he opens his arms and moves to lift her up into them. "I promise you this – I won't leave you."

"Kay" Cushioned in his arms, she cries against his shoulder, her own small shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. "I…***sniffle*** want **sniffle*** Mommy!"

"I know sweetie. I know." Tim tries to comfort her as he uses his back to carefully straighten up and to stand to his feet without letting go of her. Glaring at the Metro cops waiting to question her again after their failed first attempt, Tim sternly yet without raising his voice, tells them off. "There's no reason to make this harder on her than it has to be. I already handed off to you guys, the guy who did it!" Nodding his head in the direction of the still sitting handcuffed man.

"Yeah? Wanna tell us how you just happened to do that, Mr. NCIS?" The youngest looking metro cop there, sneered, seemingly oblivious to the distraught little girl in their midst.

"Look, I'll answer any question you have. Once. Anything more than that will mean you calling my boss since you'll have to call him and tell him why I'm late getting back to work." Tim replies, instinctively wrapping his arms a little tighter around Shyanne, whos' beginning to grow quieter as she nestles more comfortably into his hold. "And don't expect me to say anything that's going to upset her."

"In other words, you're refusing to cooperate." The smart-assed cop jibes.

Tim rolls his eyes. "_Not _what I said. Look just point me in the direction of your supervisor and I'll answer _his_ questions instead. Will _that_ work?"

"Uhm, No. We're good." Mr. Attitude concedes as he whips out his notebook that instantly puts Tim in mind of Gibbs.

"Yeah?" Tim quietly challenges with the Gibbs-patented lift of his eyebrows while he gently shifts Shyanne in his arms as he feels her slide into an exhausted slumber.

"Yeah, we're good."

"Actually, Officer Tate." A new voice throws itself into the conversation, in the form of a female metro cop. "You need to take this over to the bench over there. The little girl is asleep. Have a heart and let this poor man sit down with her, will you?"

"Was just gonna say that, Joanne."

"Sure. Oh, and Captain Reynolds is looking for you."

Glancing around, the smart-mouthed cop seems to shrink in his shoes as he spies an older, taller cop heading in their direction. "Must have followed your scent." He mutters.

"What was that, Tate?" She demands with quiet fury.

"I said he's comin' over here."

"Uh Huh. Still a pig, huh, Tate?" Joanne snipes. "Mr?" She turns to Tim, waiting for him to introduce himself.

"McGee. Tim McGee, NCIS"

"NCIS." She marvels as they walk toward the bench. " Coincidence?"

"Me being here? Absolutely. I was on my lunch hour, actually. Sitting over there on that bench when Shyanne here and her father were walking by. She spotted my badge when the sun shone on it. They stopped for her to look at it. They were on their way to the playground over there when I headed back to my car. Next thing I know, Shyanne's screaming for her dad. When I turned back to look, he was on the ground at her feet and that piece of….was standing over him. Did something to him, then took off real fast."

"You didn't waste any time taking care of things." She admires.

"Instinct – Comes from years on the job – under the right boss and training, I guess." Tim embarrassingly admits.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, Son." A deep, rough male voice speaks up from beyond Tim's vision Turning his head slowly, the NCIS agent now realizes he's already said what Metro LEO's needed to hear – to an actual Metro Cop supervisor. "Damned good job done, here. Damned good. You helped save the victim, kept the very vulnerable and scared witness as calm as possible under the circumstances and nailed the dirtbag responsible. Couldn't ask for more – from anybody"

Nodding. Tim quietly speaks his thanks as his eyes take in the nametag on the man's shirt. "Thank you, Sir. Does this mean you're done with me, Captain Reynolds?"

"We'll need your written statement of course." The older man replies with a small smile that speaks of his respect for Tim's handling of the situation.

Again, Tim nods. "Sure."

"But, you can take care of that after we get this little angel settled." The older man points to Shyanne, his face a picture of compassion. "Child Protective Services has been notified. They're on their way.

"Oh." Tim's heart drops. The last thing he wants to do is release this little girl into the world of Foster Care, bouncing from one home to another "Isn't there some way she wouldn't have to go through that, Captain?"

"She's already on your heart, heh? Not that I don't understand. I mean look at her. The poor thing" Captain Reynolds lets Tim see he's human. "Look, Agent McGee. I'm a grandfather, myself. I know I'd hate like hell to see one my little granddaughters put in Child Protective Services. But unless we find some family members…? You know how it works. We don't have a choice."

"She and her father were talking earlier about Shyanne forgetting for a minute that her sister, mother and I think both grandmothers recently died in a car accident." Tim informs them. "Add that to the fact that the guy who did this knows them personally – and I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess you're not going to find a reliable family member."

"Doesn't sound like it." Captain Reynolds sadly agrees. "But we'll give it our best. Tell you what, it's obvious that she's attached to you – so, you can hold onto her until they get here."

"I'm not letting her go at all unless and until I have to, Captain. I promised her I wasn't leaving her and I meant it. She's already learned to value a person's promise to her."

"Son, that's not a promise you can keep. Not letting go of her."

"I'm gonna do whatever I have to, Captain." Tim argues. "But, right now, I have to call my boss. It's a lot later than I'm supposed to be getting back to work." Tim sits down on the bench and shifts one arm around until he can get snake his hand down into his pocket and get his phone out without disturbing Shyanne while she continues to sleep on his shoulder. Flipping it open, he calls Gibbs.

"Hey, Boss. I know… I know… I'm sorry. But, something came up."

"Lemme talk to him, son." Captain Reynolds holds his hand out for the phone and Tim adds his name to the attempt to placate the man on the other end. "Boss, the Metro Police Captain on the scene wants to talk to you." Handing over the phone Tim tells the man trying to help out what he needs to know, "Agent Gibbs."

Captain Reynolds nods, takes the phone and walks away. "Agent Gibbs? Captain Reynolds, Metro P.D. Yes, Sir, here's what we've got.…"

_**********NCIS*************_

"Agent McGee. I know she's traumatized but we really need to take her and get her settled in somewhere for the night." The matronly woman from Child Protective Services says sadly. "We have trained professionals on standby to help deal with this sort of thing. I promise we'll dig deep to try to find members of her family before we have to even think of placing her in a temporary foster home."

"Look. She hasn't let go of me since it happened. You can't rip me away from her like this!" Tim objects in an angry stage whisper so as to not wake Shyanne up from where she's still napping on his shoulder.

It's been a tiring forty minutes since Shyanne's screams first brought Tim running. And right now, things seem to be spiraling out of control for the little girl's future. It's taking all of Tim's inner strength to stand here and fight it out, rather than just tighten his hold on her and walk away in defiance. Fighting the system won't help and he knows that but damn it, something has to work here and soon or this little girl's going to have one too many promises made to her but not kept. And that's not even including her father's condition if and when he gets stabilized at the hospital.

"We have to take her, Sir." The woman pushes. "It's getting darker out and we need to get her settled."

"NO. At least… not yet. Give me a few minutes. _Please_. I'll think of something! Whatever it takes not to break my promise to her!"

"Fine. As long as you walk with me to my car while we wait." She concedes while walking in a way that says she fully expects Tim to get to his feet and follow her. "I know you mean well, but there are more important things in her life than whether or not you're here when she wakes up."

Walking beside the woman with Shyanne in his arms, Tim feels his heart sinking. What can he do? He doesn't have any claim on her. He's not her immediate family. All he is is a stranger she and her dad happened to meet long enough that she can put his face with the name and the memory of the badge. The question remains, what to tell the five year old when she wakes up and has to go with a stranger because in the eyes of the law, Tim's too much of a stranger for her to stay with?

Lost in his thoughts, Tim is walking without noticing anyone around him, except the little girl on his shoulder and the woman walking beside him. When she stops walking, he stops as well, his eyes coming up off the ground to meet hers. "I don't have any solution. But you can't take her without letting me talk to her and explaining to her why she has to go with you."

"I'm not sure I understand why that's something you have to do, Agent McGee." The woman's getting testy. "But, alright. Quickly, please!"

"Hang on a minute." A new voice is heard from behind Tim's shoulder.

The familiarity of that voice calms Tim's nerves enough that he doesn't nervously whip around to see who it is. In fact, when the hand comes up to supportively grip his shoulder, the weight of this situation seems to slide off his shoulders completely and he can't help but smile even as he nervously greets the man he never expected to see in the middle of this situation. "Boss?"


	3. Chapter 3

With arrangements made by Gibbs for Andrew's car to be delivered to his driveway, Shyanne's car seat is retrieved and installed in Tim's car. Noticing the shakiness of his agent's hands, the Team Leader switches things up and quickly has both Tim and the now awake but eerily silent five year old sitting in his own back seat as he drives them to the hospital to await word on Andrew's condition.

When they arrive at the hospital, Gibbs wastes no time finding a parking space in the emergency room parking lot and the three of them silently head inside. Walking beside Tim as the younger man carries Shyanne on his shoulder, Gibbs silently hands Tim back his phone.

Speaking for the first time since they got in the car, Tim quietly thanks him. For Gibbs, this is too unreal the quietness of the preschooler as well as the pall of sadness that's hovering like a shroud over his too quiet agent. But, he says nothing because he knows the only thing that can change this is good news from the doctors about the little girl's father.

Metro's case against the man's brother is air-tight thanks to Tim's quick action so there is nothing NCIS needs to do there. Children's' Services has promised to turn over every rock possible for more members of Shyanne's family and get back in touch with Gibbs when they find someone. In the meantime, all Tim, Gibbs and little Shyanne can do is wait.

***NCIS***

Standing against the wall several hours later, watching his agent as the young man sits stubbornly holding Shyanne as she falls back asleep Gibbs frowns. He's not sure what he should do right now because while he wants to be setting up his house for the little girls stay, he doesn't want to leave them here alone. The worst part is that none of his team is available to help him with this right now. Sighing, Gibbs straightens up and changes his focus. They can take care of setting up for her later. Right now, their focus should be on Andrew.

Sitting here in the hospital waiting room, holding Shyanne as she sleeps, Tim realizes her bottom is wet – and tacky as if she'd sat in….oh, God, she got her father's blood on her, which means….._oh, God, no!_

"Andrew Edwards?" A doctor wearing the standard white coat now stands in front of him, Gibbs already on his feet next to Tim, asking the question they both want answers to. "What can you tell us?"

"We're here for Andrew." Tim throws out there. Getting to his feet, he turns and sets the child down on the seats before turning back to the doctor.

"Are you family?"

"Uncle." Gibbs says without batting an eye.

"Brother." Tim joins the charade without missing a beat.

With a look that says he clearly doesn't believe them, the doctor sighs. "He's in for a fight. He's lost a lot of blood. Also have to keep an eye out for infection, so we're keeping him in Intensive Care overnight. No visitors."

"Wait, no!" Tim argues as a reflex, thinking of Shyanne's need to see that her father's alive.

"I already told you – he cannot have visitors" The doctor insists firmly.

"His daughter." Tim points to Shyanne on the chairs behind him. "Has the right to see that he's still alive!"

The doctor glances over at the sleeping child and pauses. It's obvious he's actually hearing what Tim's telling him. His attention goes back to the young man as Tim throws something else out there.

"His room has a window, right? A door with a window?_ Something_ that will let her at least _see_ him?"

"All right. Yes, his room has a glass wall." The doctor gives in. "Usually, we don't allow children back there, but I _will_ make an exception; _just _this once. But, she _has_ to stay quiet! And she _has _to stay with you! _Five _minutes – _outside_ his room. That's _all_ I can give you."

"Thank you." Tim's response is quiet and genuinely full of gratitude. Turning, he gently wakes Shyanne up with some movement of her shoulders and his announcement. "C'mon, Shyanne. Time to go see how Daddy's doing."

The little girl's head pops up off the chair and she quickly sits up. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Sweetheart. The Doctor said you could go see him now. For a few minutes."

"Just for a few minutes?" Shyanne asks sleepily as Tim picks her up. Snuggling her head tiredly on his shoulder, she yawns and reaches out to wrap her arm around his neck to hold on.

"That's right, sweetie. Five minutes."

The look on the boss' face says it all. Tim breathes easier. Since he's not an expert at reading him, the best he can take away from the look on the man's face is just that; this was the right thing to do.

*****NCIS*****

"Is Daddy sleeping?" Shyanne's question is quietly asked, as if she understands that it's not okay to be loud in this part of the hospital as they stand outside the patient's room, looking in.

"Yes, Honey. Daddy is sleeping." Tim answers her just as quietly, his eyes watching her for any signs of stress at what she's seeing.

"What are all those things?" She points to the IV monitor and the other machines near the bed.

"The machines around his bed?" Tim questions so he'll know exactly what she's looking for.

"Yes. What are they doing to him?" Her tone's not panicked, but it is getting a little louder as if she is getting upset.

"They're helping him. Sweetie. I promise. Daddy's going to be taken care of really good here, okay?"

Calmer now, Shyanne looks at Tim for the first time since coming to a stop outside Andrew's glass wall. "Okay. We're _not_ supposed to wake Daddy _up_. We're not!"

With a small quiet laugh at her sudden take charge demeanor, Tim answers her. "You're right, we're not. And now that we've seen him, we're gonna go and get something to eat and get some sleep. Okay?"

"Okay."

Turning to leave, Tim leads the way with Shyanne now walking on her own, holding his hand. Trailing behind them, Gibbs senses the need to look back. What he sees when he does, causes him to stop in his tracks. "Take her to the cafeteria, Tim. I'll be there in 5."

Turning to look back at the boss in surprise, Tim's eyes widen at what he sees. A firm shake of the boss' head and a pointed look down at Shyanne and Tim gets the message. She's already seen him and has settled peacefully into the understanding that her daddy's sleeping and will be taken care of here. There's no need to tell her that he's opened his eyes because he's probably barely awake and barely cognizant. That disorientation would surely scare her more than anything.

Nodding in understanding, Tim leads Shyanne away as Gibbs turns to watch the patient at the center of all their concern, through the window. He feels for him, the loss of his wife and child already connecting them on the degree of shared grief few others the older man is surrounded by on a daily basis can ever hope to understand. Losing your mother at the same time, in the same tragic accident had to have been pure hell for this young man. And if he had a good relationship with his daughters' other grandmother, well, then the hell he'd gone through had to be even greater. This guy's been through the wringer. You can't help but feel for him.

Unexpectedly, a voice close by him breaks into Gibbs' thoughts. "Looks like he's wanting to talk to you. You can go on in. But keep it brief."

Glancing at the nurse that's come to stand beside him, Gibbs nods. "Thanks."

He heads into the room and walks over to the bed. Sure enough, Andrew is awake and looking like he's got something important to say. Before the agent can say anything, the patient begins to speak.

"Shy….ok?"

"She's fine."

"Who….you?"

"NCIS Special Agent Gibbs. You met Agent McGee at the park. He works for me."

"My keys and wallet?"

I'm sure they're with the rest of your clothes."

"Key… my house… you can….take….keep Shy….there..."

"We'll take care of it. We'll take care of her."

Andrew nods, his eyes beginning to slide closed again. "Plse….don't let….my famly….get Shy."

"No one is taking your daughter away from you, Mr. Edwards. " Gibbs vows. "We'll keep her safe until you're out of here and ready to have her back."

"Thank….u."

Watching as the wounded man is pulled back under by the exhaustion and need for healing sleep his body is craving, Gibbs stands to his feet and heads out, needing to locate the man's belongings. As soon as he gets what they need, they can head out. Whipping out his phone, he makes a few calls as he walks; one to put in a request to Metro to secure the patient's well-being with a guard outside his hospital room and the other to the woman from Children's' Services, offering her the update on this family's obviously complicated situation.

_*******NCIS*******_

"What's your name?" Shyanne asks boldly as Gibbs joins the quiet pair at the table in the dining room some fifteen minutes later.

"Gibbs." The silver-haired man answers her with a gentle smile as he watches her gulp down her cup of milk.

"Mr. Gibbs, are we going to stay with you?" Shyanne asks without a hint of sadness as soon as she's done drinking. She knows Daddy is upstairs sleeping and safe so she's calm now.

Tim's eyes come off the child and move over to his boss' expression. Gibbs appears to be silently waiting for him to respond to that. "I can take care of her at my place. If I can get a few days off, Boss. If need be I can get Sarah to help look after her so I don't have to miss much work at all."

Shyanne's eyes go wide. "Who's Sara? Oops. I'm sorry. Shyanne's not suppsd to interrupt."

"Thank you for the apology, Shyanne. Sarah is my sister." Tim replies without missing a beat. He did, after all, help instill manners in his sister when he spent countless hours babysitting her and helping to raise her while his father was away. He knows the value of maintaining consistency in child rearing rules. Hearing what the child is already familiar with just made it all that much more simple to get in line with it without missing a step.

"Do you give me?" Shyanne asks hesitantly.

"Do I give you what, Sweetie?" The young man asks with confusion.

"Do you give me for interrupting you?" Shyanne asks with worry in her tone.

"Oh. Yes. I _for _give you." Tim offers with a smile as he realizes what she means. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that already."

"It's okay. I give you." She replies without hesitation and a slight shrug of her shoulders that rustles a smirk out of Gibbs.

The child's cheerfulness is contagious and soon both men sitting there with her are sporting small smiles of their own as they watch her dig in hungrily to the plate of French fries and grilled chicken strips Tim had gotten for her to eat. Seeing her licking her fingers with utter enjoyment broadens those smiles as they revel in her ability to enjoy the moment to the fullest.

Seeing that Tim has no food or even coffee in front of him, Gibbs silently gets up from the table and goes in search of something the younger man can put on his stomach. The guy's a bundle of nerves; that much is obvious, but he's still gotta eat. A few minutes later, the Team Leader returns to the table with a pre-wrapped sandwich and a cup of coffee, sweetened heavily and lightened with a double shot of cream, setting the items down in front of his agent without saying a word.

As the sandwich and coffee appear in front of him, Tim's focus shifts back to Gibbs. "Thanks, Boss."

He's not sure why but he feels like he's walking in quicksand here. For the umpteenth time since this first happened, he's grateful beyond measure that the boss is here. What's even more helpful is the feeling that the man's not planning on going anywhere just yet.

With just a nod, Gibbs accepts the thanks and sits back down and scrutinizes the younger man silently for a minute.

It's not long before Tim's next observation proves that he's clued in to what Gibbs is thinking. "You don't agree with that idea."

"Got more room at my place and a yard. Closer to everything…the team...here." Gibbs observes. With Andrew's request that he and Tim not let anyone in his family get their hands on his daughter, there's no way they're staying at the man's house, but that doesn't mean they can't go there and get what they need to take care of the little girl. The phone call's already been made, securing Metro's cooperation in clearing the house and keeping watch so that when they get there, no surprises will jump out at them.

Looking down at his coffee, Tim thinks about this and the fact that this man in front of him who has suffered the soul-wrenching loss of a daughter himself, is opening his home and himself up to another child; one that's not his own. The last thing Tim wants to do is make light of that. Raising his head up, he nods as he looks his boss straight on. "Thank you."

Another short nod is all there is left on that conversation before the Team Leader diverts their discussion to moving forward. "Team's not available so it's just you and me. Feel like shopping?"

"Sure. Guess we need a lot of stuff. What store do you have in mind?"

"Not a store." Gibbs says with a slight smirk as he holds out his hand with a key in it. "Ready to go?" He asks Shyanne with an encouraging smile. The Team Leader once again mentally sends up a silent thank you that it had been easy to pick the house key from he few others on the sparsely populated key chain in Andrew's belongings. The only two other keys on there had been obvious in their own rite; a truck key and a storage lock key that looked anything but like a house key.

"You got the key to his place?" Tim's shocked and relieved all at the same time.

"Daddy's key?" Shyanne speaks for the first time in a few minutes. She excitedly gets to her feet, jumping up and down in place. "We're going to my house?"

"We'll talk about it on the way." Gibbs reassures her as he waits to see whose hand she'll take. It's a lift to his heart when she takes both of their hands in hers, the three of them walking together through the halls of the hospital as they head out.

_*******NCIS*******_

As Gibbs drives, Tim's lost in his thoughts while Shyanne sings to herself in the backseat. If they have a key to the house, why would Gibbs suggest they keep the preschooler at his house instead of her own? _Right, Shyanne's uncle did try to kill her father today. So is she in danger now? Wait does that mean…._

"Boss,…?"

"Metro's got it covered. He's fine. House is secure." The Team Leader offers quietly so as to not draw the five year old in the back seat into the conversation or give her something to worry about. "We go in, get what we need, get out."

Tim nods, in awe of the fact that not only has Gibbs read his mind without being off base; but also has gotten ahead of the situation, apparently. This also brings to mind that there's obviously a lot more going on here than Tim's aware of. He hopes that gets cleared up before too much more time goes by.

_*******NCIS*******_

Reaching the house a short time later, Tim is shocked to see that although it's small, it's absolutely spotless inside, the walls covered in photos of the once happy family of four in all typical stages of the two beautiful little girls' lives. It's clear that the five-year old's little sister was just as precious and gorgeous as Shyanne; her blue eyes and blonde hair a surprise from two dark haired parents.

Another wall full of photos showcases the little girls' mother's family. Just as the younger child obviously inherited her looks from her uncle and maternal grandmother, it's obvious that Shyanne got hers from her maternal grandfather in addition to her father, if the photos told the story correctly. Still more photos with Andrew and his wife along with their mothers with both little girls testify to just how much both grandmothers were loved by all four members of this immediate family.

An Armed Services Flag is framed with the wife's father's name engraved on it, along with a framed print dated a year before Shyanne was born, that cites cancer's unfortunate double-barreled win over the man's life drives home to both agents, just how much this little girl has lost; how much her father has lost.

There are very few photos here of Andrew's side of the family. In fact there are only two. One is that of the same slender, good-looking woman found in the other photos with the girls; this time with three young men surrounding her in a way that makes it clear she is their mother. It's easy to see Andrew in the photo and his attacker as well. But there's a third young man here and that bears investigating later. The second photo seems to make a mockery of the here and now, showing two baby boys one much older but still very much a baby in his own rite. It's a sad situation spelled out in photographs.

**_****NCIS****_**

Following Shyanne up the stairs when she says her bedroom is up there, Tim glances back at the boss where he's perusing the family's photographic history, before focusing once again on the little girl running up the stairs before him. When they reach her bedroom, Tim has to blink away the blurriness from his vision at the sight of the huge portrait hanging there of both little girls with the beautiful woman who Shyanne strongly resembles.

"That's me and Kira with Mommy." Shyanne says sadly as she takes Tim's hand while still holding her doll from the car ride in her other hand. "I really miss them."

"I know, Honey." Tim tries to soothe her as he leads her away from the photo. He knows he has to keep her thinking in the here and now to save her from getting bogged down in the sadness and grief. Keeping his voice as cheerful as he can, he turns her attention where he needs it to go. "You ready to get some of your things so we can go to Agent Gibbs' house?"

"Why can't Shyanne sleep in her own bed?" The little girl asks in confusion.

"Well, because your daddy wanted us to keep you company while he can't. And we want to do that where we'll be a lot closer to your daddy. That way when he's ready for visitors tomorrow, you can go see him sooner."

"I can go _see_ him?" Shyanne's hope just to be able to see her father in the hospital is heartbreaking when the proof of everything else she's already lost surrounds them here.

"Yes." Tim manages while swallowing hard around the lump in his throat.

"That's awesome!" She cheers. In the next breath, she drops the doll from her hand and dances in place on both feet before running out of the room, calling out as she moves. "Shyanne has to go potty first!"

*****NCIS*****

Tim's breathing out a sigh of relief that he finally got Shyanne to change into a fresh pair of underwear and pants by getting her to show him where they were kept and asking her tell him which ones she wanted while she was in the bathroom. A quick open of the door and tossing the clothes inside the bathroom before shutting the door had gotten the job done, with a peal of laughter from the child. "Mr. Tim, you're so silly! You threw my panties in the tub."

"Sorry, Shyanne. Can you get them without falling in?" Tim had asked with worry he hadn't been able to hide.

"Yes! Shyanne's a big girl!"

"I know, Honey. But I need you to be careful anyway Okay?"

"Yes. Sir."

"Thank you."

A few minutes later and a quick request that she put the wet ones in the bag he handed her, and everything there is okay now.

****NCIS****

With a suitcase full of Shyanne's clothes and big gym bag full of toys and games that are familiar and comforting to her, they're on their way to Gibbs' house. Tim's not surprised to see that the boss had raided the kitchen cabinets and freezer while he and Shyanne had been busy upstairs. With food that the preschooler s already used to eating, this temporary situation should go over easier for her.

It's been a long day but she slept for a long time earlier so there's no telling when she'll fall asleep. Carrying her in the house, Tim sets her down on her feet inside the front door. Gibbs beckons to her as he heads to the living room floor, where he sets one of the gym bags with her toys in it down in front of her. "Have at it." He smiles at her before he walks over to the television and turns it on low enough that she can still hear it for background noise. She's used to a noisy house in all probability so if it's too quiet here, it might spook her.

Bringing in the rest of Shyanne's stuff, Tim's shocked to find a Disney movie playing on the boss' television when he comes inside for the last time, shucking off his coat inside the front door. Hearing the familiar music, he takes himself to the living room to check on the little girl's reaction to a movie versus the toys. He's pleasantly surprised to find she's engrossed in her toys even as she sings to the music.

Gesturing from beside him, Gibbs draws the younger man into the kitchen where he points him toward the freshly made coffee. Watching Tim fix himself a cup of caffeine the way he likes it, the Team Leader lays everything out on the table that he knows about this situation. Filling Tim in on what Andrew has requested means knowing that it will amp up the younger man's concern for the little girl playing safely in the next room. That's a good thing. It will keep them both on their toes. With one spoken concern regarding the accident that claimed four lives, all of whom were extremely close to Shyanne, Tim lets the rest sink in without comment.

A few short moments later, Tim's once again watching the preschooler play while Gibbs heads upstairs to get the guest room ready for his pint sized guest. It's not long before the boss comes back down stairs, bringing him a fresh cup of coffee as he joins them in the living room. They don't interfere with her and they're not surprised she's become at ease with individual play. Becoming an only child has obviously made that necessary. Silently, the two of them watch Shyanne play herself and her stuffed animals and dolls into sleep long after 2300 hours.

Without a word, Gibbs gets to his feet and scoops the little girl up, carrying her up to her temporary bed, leaving Tim downstairs with time to think and a hell of a lot to think about.

.

_********NCIS********_

"Somethin' on your mind?" Gibbs asks into the silence that has taken over his living room. He's come back downstairs from making sure Shyanne was sleeping deeply enough that she wasn't going to wake up soon, to find the young man standing at his sliding glass doors, looking anything but all right.

Tim sighs as he shakes his head, turning to face the boss. He's upset with himself because if Gibbs hadn't shown up when he had….well, there's no question he'd have lost control of the situation – and been forced to break his promise to Shyanne. On top of that, the sinking suspicion that Shyanne should never have been left to deal with her father's injury on her own is beginning to weigh on him like a huge anchor.

Wherever the boss has willingly stepped in here, Tim's stood silently by and let him because this is touching such a personal note for the man that it feels wrong to do otherwise. Sure Shyanne trusted Tm at first, but she has no problem with trusting or feeling safe with Gibbs either, so it's a win-win situation. Which means that while Gibbs has been settling her into bed Tim's been re-examining her clothes from earlier in the day. It _is_ blood on her pants.

Which can only mean one thing. It was wrong for Tim to handle that situation by using a five year old little girl to stem the bleeding the way he did. He's damned lucky that Shyanne wasn't bothered by the state of her clothing. But, he's not letting himself off the hook nearly as easy as that. Which is why he can only shake his head in a negative answer to the boss' question. Sure, there's something on his mind, but he damned sure can't talk about it right now.

Gibbs sighs tiredly. He knows his agent enough to know guilt sitting on his shoulders when he sees it. The question is: guilt about what? Glancing around the room as a way to give himself some time to pull his thoughts together, he spies the preschooler's clothes sitting haphazardly on the bag they'd been carried here in from the child's house. Walking over to them, he looks more closely at the pants sitting on top. There's his answer because that's clearly blood and that can only mean one thing.

"She moved around, dislodged the jacket."

"It's my fault" Tim replies quietly but with enough weight that it's impossible to miss the guilt he's already feeling.

"How?"

"I never told her not to move the jacket. I only told her not to wiggle or get up. He wouldn't have lost as much blood as he did if I'd stayed with him instead of running after his attacker!"

"Second guessing yourself won't change anything. Tim. You did what you thought was right. Her father recovering and he's gonna be fine."

"Being in Intensive care because you lost too much blood is not fine, Boss!" Tim's anquish is unmistakable even as he fights to keep his voice down.

_**Thwack**_

The non-verbal message lacked any real strength. Tim looks intently at his boss, waiting for what he knows is the forthcoming explanation. Sure enough, less than two heartbeats later, he hears it.

"It's better than it would have been if you hadn't _been _there!"

The silence that descends between them as Tim processes that truth isn't a comfortable one but it does give them space to breathe. Thankfully, it's not long before that silence is broken.

"I know." The younger man sighs with resignation. The boss is right on all counts here. None of what he's thinking changes anything. Even as he mentally chastises himself, the older man begins speaking again. What he hears shocks Tim completely.

"I probably woulda done the same thing."

"Really?" Tim's response slips out without a filter. It's not like the boss to placate someone but this situation doesn't sound like something he would have handled the same way either, so skepticism is ruling the moment.

"You did good, Tim. But your focus should be on that little girl upstairs."

"I know, Boss."

With a nod, the discussion is dropped. Nodding at the clothes on the table, Gibbs heads out of the room. "Clean up. Then get some sleep. Got a long day tomorrow."

Picking up in the living room, Tim heads upstairs and plants himself in the chair by Shyanne's bed, his feet propped up on the end of the bed. If she needs someone to chase away her bad dreams, he'll be here.

_*****NCIS*****_

Checking on Shyanne a while later, Gibbs isn't surprised to find Tim sleeping in the chair by her bed with his feet propped up on the bed. But he is proud of him for it. He slips a pillow up behind the younger man's head and drapes a light blanket over the rest of him to keep off the chill before stopping in the doorway.

Standing here looking at that angelic face on the sleeping child, Gibbs smiles. It's been easy to feel like he has to be there for her. She's vulnerable and such a joy to be around and obviously in need of being given a safe environment. But he does need to back away enough to let Tim do the work on this. He's who the little girl bonded with. This is just temporary and no one is out to replace her father.

Andrew is going to recover. It's as simple as that. This….is just temporary. Besides, his focus needs to be on keeping Tim focused and steady on his feet as the younger man finds his way through this task of looking after Shyanne while her father cannot; not on running roughshod over him to do it for him. Time to back off and let his agent step up like he's fully capable of doing.

With a smile on his face, directed at both of them, he slips from the room, leaving Tim be as he keeps his promise to Shyanne, not to leave her.


	4. Chapter 4

"Daddy got hurt last day." Shyanne tells Gibbs sadly as soon as she and Tim join him for breakfast in the older man's kitchen. It's barely 0730 and already it feels as if the day's been a long one for the Team Leader who's just finished cooking up eggs and pancakes for them all, having left the other two alone when he heard them up moving around a short while ago.

"Last day? Do you mean yesterday, Shyanne?" Tim asks gently as he helps her into her chair noting with a small smile in her direction, the lack of a booster seat he'd expected her to need .

"Yes! Last. Day!" The little girl corrects him firmly, her eyes getting as wide as saucers at the sight of such a big breakfast being put in front of her.

"Okay. Yes, Daddy got hurt last day." Tim agrees with her quietly. "But the doctors are fixing him up. Remember?"

"Shyanne wants to go see Daddy now!" Shyanne declares with as much determination as a five year old can muster.

"It's not time yet." Gibbs firmly inserts, wanting the little girl to calm down as quickly as possible for her own sake. "We'll go after lunch. Daddy needs his rest."

"Okay. Can please Shyanne have some milk?" She asks with a lightening fast change of topic.

"Sure, Sweetie." Tim replies encouragingly with a smile as he fills the coffee mug in front of her plate half-full of milk for her and slides it closer to her so she can reach it. "Do you know how to say, 'good morning', Shyanne?" Tim asks his charge with genuine curiosity.

"Yes. Shyanne is sorry. Gammy always said it's not nice _not_ to say that in the morning."

"It's okay, Honey. Sometimes we all have a rough start to the day and forget." Tim offers with genuine sympathy.

A smile finds its' way to the little girl's face even though she says nothing before she drinks every bit of her milk down, obviously thristy.

"What kinds of games do you like to play, Shyanne?" Tim asks as he slides her now empty mug away from her plate.

"Gammy used to let me and Kira play with the talking cats on her phone. She said the girl cat was mine and the boy cat was Kira's. We weren't supposed to hit them though. Gammy would take the phone away from us if we did that. Mommy didn't like that game but said it was okay if Gammy 'sup...r...ised us."

"Well, if you want, after we eat, you can help me find the game on my phone and you can play it once I get it downloaded. Would you like that?" Tim offers.

"Yes! Thank you! Shyanne LOVES to get the stickers and the make-up!"

"They'll be new, now. It will mean starting all over." Tim warns her.

"Gammy did that when she got a new phone - that's how I got to play with my own girl cat. She was a cute baby!"

"I'm sure she was. Okay. Let's eat first. Have to have a good breakfast before we can do anything." Tim firmly orders.

"Oh. Kay!" Shyanne firmly agrees as she digs into her pancakes that Gibbs has cut up for her and set in front of her with a little bit of syrup to go with them.

Retreating behind his cup of coffee, Tim mentally breathes a sigh of relief at how easy child care is coming back to him. The harder part he knows, will come later at the hospital.

From his own place across the table, Gibbs silently applauds his agent and relishes Shyanne's ability to change directions with her thoughts so fast. With an encouraging smile of his own for the little girl, he remains otherwise quiet, choosing to let Tim continue to carry this in his more than capable hands.

_**********NCIS*********_

After a morning spent letting Shyanne play with Talking Tom and Talking Angela on Tim's ipad until she got bored and then letting her play one horse feeding game after another on it, Tim reminds her that they have to have a good lunch, promising that it will be time to visit Daddy after they eat. He's feeling a little frayed around the edges since Gibbs disappeared after breakfast, leaving Tim alone with the five year old for the rest of the morning.

Rather than be upset with him for it, Tim's grateful. He knows it's the boss' way of letting Tim do the heavy lifting on this, just like Tim needs and wants to do. In fact, very little has been said between them at all as morning shifted on into to mid-day and the time for lunch approached. By noon, Gibbs had resurfaced and silently set a meal of sandwiches on the table for them with another glass of milk for Shyanne and another cup of coffee for Tim and himself.

To reinforce good manners for the little girl, Tim and Gibbs deliberately thank each other for the little things they've done for each other up to this point in time. Neither of them miss the fact that the little girl is watching them like a hawk. With all of them looking forward to checking up on Andrew, it's not long before silence falls in the kitchen while they all eat heartily.

**_********NCIS*******_**

Vowing firmly that she no longer takes naps, Shyanne is more than ready to go when Tim and Gibbs tell her it's time to head out. Once she's safely buckled in the older man's car, she goes quiet, as if somehow aware that the adults need some peace and quiet in which to think.

It feels strange to Tim, to be so quiet around a child, but he's feeling a little wrung out and he gets the sense from Gibbs that the man has stepped back for a reason and intends to remain in the background as much as possible in this situation. He gets it. Shyanne bonded with Tim and the boss wants to stay out of the way of that. It's probably intensely painful for the man, too, to be around another little girl after the loss of his own. It keeps Tim feeling uncomfortable about this, himself. Tim hopes they can resolve things for both Shyanne and Gibbs soon.

**_********NCIS*******_**

"Hi, Daddy!" Shyanne's excited greeting for her father, currently sitting up in his hospital bed, is so bubbly and full of joy that it's impossible not to share in her good mood. With matching smiles of relief, Tim and Gibbs remain in the background as the little girl hugs her father carefully, with the man's own warning guiding her along the way.

"Careful, baby. Daddy's still real sore." The man looks remarkably better than he had just last night. In fact, only if you look twice, can you even tell he's recovering from a gun shot wound. His color is normal and his pain has obviously been medicated enough that he's comfortable. That's a relief to the adults who know what they're seeing means the little girl will get her sole parent back and nothing is more important than that.

"Sorry, Daddy." Shyanne murmurs as she nestles into her father's arm as it settles around her little shoulders once she's planted herself next to him on the bed.

Andrew draws his daughter closer and kisses her on the top of her head. "It's okay, baby." Looking over at the agents, the patient whispers his thanks for all they've done for him.

Countless moments later, when Shyanne seems just about to fall asleep beside Andrew in the bed, her little voice pipes up with a question. "When can you come home, Daddy?"

"Not today, little lady." The doctor walking into the room tells her. "Maybe tomorrow and only if Daddy has someone there to help take care of his boo-boo."

Shyanne nods firmly. "Shyanne will take care of Daddy!" She looks up at her father, waiting for his answer. But the doctor answers her first.

"I know my dear. But Daddy needs an adult to help you. Someone strong enough to help Daddy move around so he doesn't fall down and hurt himself worse. Okay?"

With tears in her eyes, Shyanne nods. "Okay."

"Hey, sweetie. Look at me." Andrew encourages his daughter. "You'll take great care of me. I know you will. Okay? But we're gonna need some help."

"Okay, Daddy." She looks at Tim and Gibbs and then back to her father. "Agent Tim can help you! He helped me!"

"Well, now, honey, we have to ask Agent Tim if he wants to." The patient reminds his daughter.

"While you're doing that, young lady - out in the hall - I need to check Daddy over - make sure his boo-boo's healing nicely. Okay?"

Shyanne nods solemnly as Tim takes her hand and steps out of the room with her tucked up in his arms, Gibbs right behind him.

_****************NCIS**************_

Out in the hall, Tim is quick to promise Shyanne that he'll help take care of her father. Mentally, he's calling on Ducky the minute he can make the call.

Obviously reading his mind, Gibbs nods in agreement but says nothing.

To relieve the tension building both in his limbs and in the air surrounding them, Tim walks with Shyanne up and down the hallway while they wait for the doctor to finish checking the patient over. He pointedly stops here and there along the way, encouraging her to tell him what she sees. Distantly, he hears the boss get back to business in a phone call

"DiNozzo. You two get backup from the Office down there – keep checkin' in with that office...just don't go off grid!" ***Click**

**************NCIS************

As the doctor finally comes out into the hallway after what seems like hours, quietly closing the patient's door behind him, Tim has already sequestered Shyanne off into the corner of the room with several magazines that should hold her attention while they talk to the doctor.

Before either Tim or Gibbs can pepper him with questions, the man is speaking to Gibbs. "He's asking for you. You'll need to wear the mask and gloves that are on the table at the of his bed now "

With a nod, Gibbs is gone heading into Andrew's room without a backwards glance.

Watching his mentor move quickly to see what the patient needs, Tim is surprised to feel the doctor's hand on his elbow, urging him to walk further away from Shyanne. The red flag is up where the little girl is concerned. Whatever this is, can't be good. Tim jumps right to the point. "What aren't you telling me?

_************NCIS**********_

"How you feelin?" Gibbs, suited up against possible germs, quietly asks Andrew as he steps up to the bed and looks him in the eye.

Exhausted and nearly asleep, Andrew's eyes slide open at the sound of the agent's voice close by. "Thank you...looking after my little girl."

"No thanks needed."

"If...if anything happens to me... please don't let my family get her...the good ones... died ... car accident."

Without missing a beat, Gibbs tells him what he needs to hear. "You don't have permission to die, son."

Andrew's eyes pop open in shock.

_****************NCIS**************_

"Mr. Edwards has the beginning of a serious infection." The doctor's words hit Tim like a punch to the gut. "Now we've caught it early and got him on a strong antibiotic and hopefully that will take care of the problem. However..."

"It's just extended his stay here." Tim reasons out. "10 day course?" He's been through it himself and helped his sister through it a time or two through the years so he's pretty sure he knows what's coming next.

"Well, no. So long as the next 24 hours show significant improvement and he continues his regiment at home, we should be able to discharge him day after tomorrow." The doctor looks towards Shyanne in the corner of the room. "However,..."

Tim nods. One more day in the hospital isn't too bad. Then it hits him. If Andrew is now fighting an infection the chances of Shyanne getting to see her father again have just dropped to none. Time to get creative with his explanations. Looking at the doctor once more, he steps up. "I'll tell her. Thank you for the update Doctor."

Walking towards the little girl with a heavy heart, he barely notices Gibbs return to the hallway at the edge of his vision.

_****************NCIS**************_

It's almost nine that night and while Gibbs calls the hospital for an update on Andrew, Tim reads a story to Shyanne to help her fall asleep. He's three pages from the end and her eyes have already closed, her breathing evened out and steady. It's clear she's out for the count, yet he can't seem to stop reading to her. His gut is clenched, convinced something's wrong. he just hopes with all his heart that he's wrong this time.

Feeling his mentor's presence in the room behind him, Tim stops reading and sets the book down. Refusing to meet the man's eyes just yet, he stands to his feet and joins the man out in the hallway, closing the door securely behind himself. Now he forces himself to look at the older man directly, his gut already telling him something's wrong. "What happened?" He asks without wasting time or words.

Gibbs sighs as he answers just as directly. "Allergic reaction to the antibiotic. He's in ICU. No visitors."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Tim asks with worry.

"They're not sure, Tim."

"Oh, God!"

"They're not. But I am."

"You're sure he's gonna be okay." Tim repeats with a credible amount of uncertainty in his tone.

"Yup."

"How's that, Boss?" Tim needs to know.

"Easy." Gibbs responds with all seriousness. "I told him he doesn't have permission not to be."


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** Episode Tag: **"Dog Tags"** \- taken a little A/U - from Off screen - post episode timeline._

* * *

0730 the next morning found Gibbs seeing a sleepy yet anxious 5 year old find her way to his kitchen, having just brought herself down the stairs on her own, silently bypassing the still sleeping Tim. As if on a mission, she walked straight without even looking around, intent on her direction,

"Good morning." Gibbs offered her quietly.

Shyanne said nothing but walked up to him and snuggled up against him, sniffles beginning to fill the air between them. Obviously, she'd woken up already upset with her Daddy not being here.

Without much thought or even effort, Gibbs lifted her into his lap and let her snuggle into the crook of his arm while he sympathetically asked her a quiet question. "How's it going, kiddo?"

Shyanne shook her head and buried it deeper into the Gibbs' shoulder.

"Okay. We don't have to talk." Gibbs soothed as he settled back in his chair and let her have the time she obviously needed this morning.

It's wasn't but a mere two minutes later that Tim came down in a rush, barefoot, half-asleep and scraggly looking, his eyes bouncing everywhere, obviously searching for the 5 year old. 'Boss, have yo...oh, thank God!" Taking a minute to calm himself down, Tim stopped movement and went silent as he saw the moment for what it was, a moment when their pint sized guest had come looking for comfort and reassurance, finding it with Gibbs while she'd let Tim sleep on. Nodding at the boss, Tim turned and poured Shyanne a small mug of milk, setting in on the table in front of Gibbs, letting him control the situation from there.

Turning back to the coffee maker Tim fixed himself a cup of coffee before retreating from the kitchen without another word. He headed upstairs for a shower since Shyanne and Gibbs were keeping each other company for the time being. He couldn't help but feel relieved that those two were able to help each other, both wounded creatures that they were. Maybe helping Shyanne will be good for Gibbs in a 'healing the pain' sort of way,

Taking the time to relax under the shower, Tim cleared his mind of everything except the prayers he sent up for Andrew's complete recovery.

**********************NCIS******************

Watching Tim make sure Shyanne at least got a drink of milk to start her day off before silently leaving the room without disturbing the child, Gibbs could only respect the young man, appreciate his sensitivity to the needs of those around him, even the unspoken needs. Looking down at the little girl, he found her sleeping against him, her breathing once more level and steady.

Leaving well enough alone, he used his free hand to pick up his phone and hold it where his fingers of the arm holding Shyanne could reach the keyboard, he sent a text message checking on his Senior Field Agent and his probie agent. Getting back a response that they'd come up empty on witness statements, he issued them the order to stay down there and keep knocking on doors.

He found himself appreciating the silent communication this morning. Unfortunately it was a silence meant to be broken, as his phone rang a mere moment later. Gibbs was quick to answer it, his voice hushed yet firm. "Yeah. Gibbs."

_"Agent Gibbs, Captain Reynolds, Metro P.D."_

"Captain, what can I do for you?"

_"I spoke with the hospital and got an update on Mr. Edwards. I understand his condition has been upgraded to serious and that he's intensive care without visitors allowed."_

"For now."

_" I Just wanted to warn you, Agent Gibbs Mr. Edwards' younger brother, Dustin is fighting tooth and nail to get his niece. He claims they're close and that his own son, Jadyen has been Shyanne's favorite person since she was a baby."_

"Hold on a sec, Captain." Gibbs set the phone down and scooped Shyanne up, carrying her to the living room couch and settling her on it before making his way back to the kitchen and picking the phone back up. "Captain, her father made me promise no one in his family take her away. She needs to see him every day."

_"I agree. But, when I heard that you did manage to keep her out of Childrens' Services, it gave me cause to be concerned."_

"About?"

_"Unless you can verify that you have her father's permission to take care of her instead of handing her over to her Uncle, you've got a legal fight on your hands to keep her while he's recovering."_

"Usually takes time to mount a legal battle."

"_He's already hired a lawyer, Agent Gibbs. I suggest you do the same."_

"Appreciate the heads up, Captain."

_"Anything to help that little girl, Agent Gibbs. She's suffered enough loss in her life already."_

"No argument there."

_"I'll check back later in the week. Oh and we'll be continuing to keep an eye on the house, as well. I understand you still think Mr. Edwards is in need of round the clock guards." _

"Considering the dirtbag's relationship to the victim, Captain, yes, I do." Gibbs replied without hesitation.

_"Appreciate your caution, Agent Gibbs. Hope this works out for Shyanne. You let me know if there's anything I can help you with for her."_

"Will do, Captain. Appreciate it."

*****************NCIS****************

Watching Gibbs end his call, having walked in at the tail end of it, Tim remained silent but moved to the coffee maker to fix himself another cup of coffee. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the boss' cup was empty too and promptly refilled it, receiving a nod of thanks from the boss in return.

Sitting down at the table across from his mentor, Tim sipped his coffee and set his cup down. "What's going on, Boss?"

Without answering Tim, Gibbs opened his phone back up and made a call. "Leon, need Legal to get us firm custody of the witness until her father's recovered enough to regain custody of her. Need it yesterday... Good... Ok... Yeah, I'll keep you posted."

Tim nods his comprehension as Gibbs ends the call and sets the phone down on the table. "Crisis averted, then?"

"Let's hope so."

"I'll go get her up."

"No. You get breakfast, I'll get her up." Gibbs quietly redirected.

"Because she came looking for you this morning...makes sense she should wake up to finding you still looking out for her." Tim surmised. "Okay. But, I don't have to do the whole pancakes thing, do I?"

Gibbs looked at him like he'd just asked a dumb question.

Tim sighed. "Right. Pancakes it is."

*****************NCIS*******************

"Can Shyanne see Daddy this morning?" _Please?"_ The obviously dejected preschooler asked when Gibbs brought her to the kitchen a mere ten minutes later, silently helping her get up in her chair.

"Good morning sweetie." Tim greeted her with a gentle cheerfulness he hoped would lift her spirits.

"Morning, Mr. Tim." Shyanne greeted dully. "Can I?"

"Honey, that's up to his doctor." Tim replied as he set her plate of pancakes in front of her. "He is taking really good care of Daddy so you can have him back home as soon as possible okay?"

"Okay." Shyanne sighed. Pushing her fork around her plate, she didn't pick up any food.

"Honey, aren't you hungry" Tim asked her.

Shyanne shook her head. "No."

"Ok. How about a little orange juice then? Do you room in your tummy for that?"

"I think so." The little girl's voice sounded so small it was obvious she was very distressed this morning.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" Tim asked while Gibbs bowed out of the kitchen silently, taking this time to get his own shower.

"I miss Daddy and Mommy and sissy and granny an gammy and everyone!" The overwrought little girl wailed, her fork dropping noisily to her plate.

Pulling out his chair and pulling it close, he sat down and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "Oh, Honey. I know it's tough right now. But you'll see. It won't be long before you have Daddy back home with you." Tim attempted to soothe her.

Shyanne sobbed as the tears ran down her face while she bravely tried to nod.

Opening his arms, Tim scooped her up as she scrambled to climb into his lap. Tenderly, he held her snug, gently rocking her while her emotions ran amuck on her.

*********NCIS********

"Hey, Lil bit." Gibbs greeted the subdued child when he returned to the kitchen after her tears had subsided and her cries quietened down.

Raising her head up off Tim's chest, she looked over at the older man and hesitantly asked him. "Me?"

"Well, yeah, silly goose. You don't think I can call Mr. Tim here little, do you?" Gibbs grinned at her.

Smiling back him, she giggled . "He's too big!"

"You're right about that. Now. how about we go somewhere I know you'll have fun?"

"Okay?! Can Mr. Tim come?"

"Sure." Gibbs replied as he tossed Tim the dish towel he'd just picked up to wipe off the counter. "Matter of fact, he needs to."

"Boss?" Tim asked in shock.

"C'mon, you'll both have fun." The Team Leader encouraged as he led the way out of the house.

***************NCIS****************

Pulling up in front of the place Gibbs stopped at a short fifteen minutes later, Tim was feeling more than a little anxious. Why would Gibbs bring them to an animal shelter? Maybe the guy figured filling some of Shyanne's time with the admiring animals she could do here would help her by taking her mind off her missing family members and her wounded father.

He personally - after his experience with that damned german shepherd that had tried to eat him alive, would prefer to leave the dog world alone. Even though Abby had done her damnedst to force the dog on him, Tim had stood up to her more firmly then than ever before and had come out dog-free with no regrets as he'd left her the chore of finding the dog a home. But, it left him with a bitter taste in his mouth when it came to dogs. He knew Gibbs didn't know about any of that but why had he made that comment about 'both of them' having fun here?

"Where are we?" Shyanne asked. "That's a doggie on the sign! Are there dogs here?"

"Very good, Shyanne." Tim applauded her as they parked the car. Forcing himself to continue to focus on the little girl kept his own nervousness at bay. He smiled at the child's enthusiasm as together they walked with Gibbs towards the building. Once again, the older man was operating on silence, merely watching with a grin on his face as Shyanne figures things out for herself.

"Doggies!" She excitedly cried, pulling hard on Tim's hand to get inside faster.

"Go on." Gibbs encouraged her, speaking at long last, for the first time since they'd left the house. As discretely as he could, he watched Tim's reaction to the dog pound. He'd known of his agent's aversion to dogs ever since he'd been attacked by the one Abby had so thoughtlessly named after the Team Leader, If he could help Tim while he was helping Shyanne, it was that much more of a better day and a job well done as substitute dad for a day.

****************NCIS*************

With contagious smiles on the faces of the shelter workers faces, Shyanne laughed her way down the rows of dogs housed there - big ones, little ones and even the ones in between, amused her and had her stopping for their kisses and their yaps of joy so she could reach through the fencing and pet them at will.

Tim stayed right next to her, within reach of the ability to yank her out of harms way if one of the dogs became aggressive. As they stopped to pet dachhound after beagle, Labrador after Jack Russell terrier, Tim finally felt his tension and worry ease. When they came to the dog at the end of the second row, he not only lost the last of his worry - he fell in love.

For the first time since entering the kennel, Tim reached out to pet the dog they'd stopped in front of. Letting the dog sniff his hand, Tim smiled at the black and white sheltie's beauty and excitement, the dog's quivering from it obvious to see. "Hey, there pretty boy." Tim spoke to the dog, whose sign on the cage clearly let him know was a boy and his name was Pepper. "What's a good lookin' great breed of dog like you doing in a place like this?"

"His owner took sick. There was no next of kin to claim him. He's just two years old. Well trained, loves attention." The shelter worker informed him as she stepped up next to him. "He's definitely a keeper."

"I _so_ want him." Tim said under his breath, completely unaware of his mentor's acute attention to this moment. "I've always loved Shelties. They're beautiful and smart and awesome lap dogs!"

"Mr. Tim wants a doggie?" Shyanne asked in surprise.

"Oh I'd love to have one, Shyanne, but my building manager won't let the people who live there have one. Besides, I work too many hours. it wouldn't be fair to the dog. It would have to stay in his kennel while I wasn't home."

"Ooh. We did that with Spike!"

"You had a dog?" Tim asked her in surprise.

"Yes! But he was rough. He used to jump on everyone. He made Gammy really mad one day when he jumped up on the couch right on top of my head! "

"Well, how did he do that, Honey?" Tim asked in confusion.

"I was laying down in Gammy's lap. Spike jumped on top of my head! Gammy didn't like Spike after that."

"I would have been upset with the dog, too." Gibbs offered. "Do you see one here that you like most, Shyanne?"

"Yes!" The little girl pointed to Pepper. "I like this one!"

"C'mere a minute." Gibbs encouraged her as he held out his hand for her and led her away from Tim, still stuck in place, not wanting to move away from the sheltie he'd fallen in love with. Stooping down low he reached out once more and plied the dog with affection. "What a good boy you are!"

"OKAY!" Shyanne's excited shriek rang out the next row over. "I like this one!"

"Okay. Rex it is - if he behaves around you. Ready to play with him and see how he does?"

"Yes, Mr. Gibbbs! Yes!" The little girl jumped up and down excitedly.

"Easy, honey. You have to calm down." Gibbs warned her.

"Okay." Shyanne stopped bouncing but held onto the older man's hand tightly, her excitement clear in her grip.

Only then did the shelter worker open the smooth coated Jack Russell terrier's cage, slip the leash on the dog's collar and hand Shyanne the leash. "Go on, sweetie. Keep a tight grip on his leash now. The room you two can play in is just down this way. Why don't you walk him into it?"

Tearing his attention away from Pepper at long last, Tim stood back up and caught up to them in time to watch Gibbs go in with Shyanne and the dog she liked. Not wanting to crowd them, he was happy to watch through the window. Seeing the little girl once again laughing with joy - no sorrow sitting on her shoulders in the here and now - brought a smile to Tim's face that got even brighter when he noticed Gibbs was wearing one too.

"You know, it would do Pepper a world of good for someone to do that with him, too." A new shelter worker spoke next to Tim. "I saw how much you were bonding with him. "

Tim shook his head. "Yeah, that's the problem. I don't want to mess with his head like that since I can't take him."

"Well, you'd be doing us a favor - exercising him for us. We're short-staffed and they all need it at least once a day."

"Really?"

"Yeah. C'mon. You can use this room right here. I'll go get him for you."

Before Tim could change his mind, the worker was briskly walking away, returning quickly with Pepper excitedly leading the way back to him. Once inside the room, Pepper was let off his leash and could barely control his excitement as he jumped and quivered for Tim's attention. Tim sat on the floor, making sure the box of toys was next to him - and lost himself in playing with Pepper - feeling like he, himself was re-finding a piece of his childhood, he'd only known for a short time.

Outside, looking through the window some twenty minutes later, with Shyanne standing next to him holding tightly to Rex's leash, Gibbs looked at the shelter worker with a grin. "Yeah. we'll be taking him too."

.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** _pet adoptions in our story are less complicated than Real Life._

* * *

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs snapped his phone shut and stowed it away in his pocket while he smirked in Shyanne's direction, the two of them still watching Tim play with Pepper through the glass.

"What's so funny Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne asked as she pulled Rex's leash to her chest to keep the excited terrier from going anywhere beyond her control. "Sit, Rex!"

Watching with a grin as the dog minded her perfectly; Gibbs answered her with a question. "You're still in on the surprise for Mr. Tim with me, right?"

"Yes!" She answered excitedly.

"Okay, well, then you can't say anything to him about any of this. So, I'll tell you what I'm smiling about - when we can both let the surprise out of the bag, all right?"

"Okay! Can we take Rex home now?" She asked impatiently.

"Let's let him play with Pepper for a few minutes first. That way we can see how they're going to get along." The shelter worker suggested

"OOH! Yes!" Shyanne agreed with the utmost excitement.

Turning to Gibbs, the worker said. "I can supervise while you go fill out the necessary paperwork? It'll make things much smoother and quicker for all of you that way."

"Sure." Gibbs watched protectively as Shyanne and Rex were taken inside the room with Tim and Pepper.

It was instant excited barking and tail wagging from both dogs. That is until Shyanne pulled sharply on Rex's leash while Tim calmly caressed Pepper's ears, speaking quietly to him before letting him go to play freely with Rex. There was no doubt about the younger man's ability to bond with the sheltie, Gibbs was even more sure of that now. Satisfied that things were under control, he headed back out to the main desk to get the paperwork done. Hell, he'd let them go inspect his house right now; if it meant Shyanne and Tim could both leave here with their new babies. He knew that wasn't practical though and that it would be best to settle one dog in at a time. Especially, since they wouldn't be staying in his house, anyway.

Thank goodness for Ducky. With Andrew's pending release from the hospital, that Gibbs was determined was going to happen, the need for the M.E.'s medical expertise in looking after the injured man precipitated the need to move this babysitting detail to the older man's house. That way, Shyanne could already be set up and comfortable there and able to be with her father from the beginning of his recovery which would help them both. It stood to reason that Rex should only have to get used to one temporary house himself, which meant taking him straight to Ducky's.

Pepper, on the other hand, would be temporarily at Ducky's until Tim's baby-sitting duties were over. At that point, the black and white bundle of energy and love would be settled in at Gibbs' for as long as Tim needed him to be. The Team Leader was actually looking forward to the little guy being around and Tim's visits to take care of him, too. It was high time the young man got to experience some genuine family bonding and even though he wasn't Tim's dad, he felt an overwhelming need to take up the slack as much as possible now, where he'd failed to ever do it before.

Moreover, if Tim resisted the idea because he didn't want to 'impose' on the boss, then Gibbs would have no trouble taking Pepper on as his own. Either way, it was a win-win plan for all of them. Chuckling to himself, Gibbs mentally flashed to his own backyard fence and realized it probably needed to be upgraded to one with smaller links in it. It only took him a minute to ask the ladies at the front desk for help in contacting Sears and putting in an order for a new backyard fence at his place, one to reinforce the one already there. Reassured that the home inspections could be done immediately as their workers who conducted them had the openings in their schedules, Gibbs sat and waited for them to update him on them.

As he waited, he continued to think on things. Ducky's backyard, he knew, was already secure enough for the terrier. The older man's inherited Corgi's had proven that before he'd found them new homes. IT was the perfect set up for adding two small dogs to their mix. Closing his eyes, he laid his head back for a moment.

The sound of his name being called, stirred Gibbs back to wakefulness. The receptionist informed him that both homes had more than met their standards with their already fenced in yards and the adoption of both dogs could proceed immediately.

With the paperwork finally done some ten minutes later, Gibbs was set free to take Rex home with him, Shyanne and Tim. Smiling, he walked back to the room he'd left them in and found Pepper already being walked back to his kennel by the shelter worker.

Gibbs hated to see the sad expression in Tim's eyes as the younger man watched the dog leave his sight, but knowing that it was only temporary helped keep him silent and abstain from bringing attention to his agent's handling of things.. Looking at Shyanne, he smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes!" The perky youngster exclaimed as she took the first step towards the way they'd come in.

"Okay. First stop, the pet store." Gibbs announced cheerily, knowing she'd love the idea.

"The one where they let the doggies come inside?" Shyanne asked hopefully.

"That's the one." Gibbs told her with a smile as they kept walking. Caught up in conversing with Shyanne, Gibbs failed to notice they were headed in the same direction the shelter worker had just gone.

"Yea! C'mon, Rex, we're gonna get you everything you need! We're gonna get you a bed and food dishes and water dishes and toys and what else are we gonna get Rex, Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne exuberantly pushed to know.

Gibbs laughed; feeling light hearted even more when Tim laughed along with him. "We'll see when we get there, Shyanne. Okay?"

"Okay." She smiled and returned her attention to Rex who'd stopped to greet the dog in front of them.

Stopping with Rex, at Pepper's kennel now, Gibbs mentally head-slapped himself. They shouldn't have come down this row. He hadn't meant for them to because he hadn't wanted Tim to have to continue thinking about leaving the sheltie here. The plan was still to pick him up tomorrow after giving Rex one night to the house by himself.

Tim's feet froze as he took in the new sign on Pepper's kennel. _"Adopted"_ He felt tears fill his eyes and he quickly looked away, blinking fast so neither the boss or Shyanne would notice. _That figures. He let his guard down and let himself get close to a pet he couldn't have. It was his own fault. He knew…,_ he mentally head slapped himself and _s_toically moved on, forcing himself to refocus on Shyanne. "Rex minds you well, doesn't he, Shyanne?" He asked her, his tone rough and in need of clearing

The observant 5 year old had already began moving again, tugging Rex with her. But, now she stopped and looked at Tim with a scrutiny that was doing Gibbs proud. "Here, Mr. Tim! You take him for a minute!" She pushed the leash into his hand and held it there.

"Okay." Tim replied as he accepted the leash from her. "Why?" He asked her with a quiet curiosity Keeping things focused on her was the way to get through the moment and he could handle that with his eyes closed.

""You're gonna help me with him aren't you?" She asked as if he should already know the answer and better not dare to say no.

Huffing out a breath of laughter, Tim agreed. "Yeah. Yeah, I am, sweetie."

"Okay then!" Shyanne asserted. "He needs to listen to you, too!"

"Makes sense." Tim offered. "Okay, I'll walk him for a minute and see how he does with me. Will that work for you?"

"Yes!"

"Whattaya say?" Gibbs asked her pointedly.

"Please."

"Sure." Tim offered as he jiggled the leash and urged Rex to move forward.

Watching the little girl watch Tim, Gibbs knew she was up to something. But, he held his silence and waited for her to give it up on her own. Sure enough, as soon as Tim was out of sight around the next corner, she turned to him and said. "Rex needs to stay here and keep Pepper company."

Gibbs smiled at her with pride. She hadn't missed anything. Not only that, she cared and wanted to make others feel better. That much was obvious. Quietly, he encouraged her to say what she really meant by asking her questions. "That's not what you really mean, is it? You don't really want Rex to stay here anymore, do you?"

"No." She admitted quietly, her gaze dropping to the ground at her feet.

Gibbs smiled tenderly at her as he squatted down next to her and raised her little face up with his crooked finger under her chin. "What you really mean is that you think we should go ahead and bring Pepper home for Mr. Tim now, don't you? Tell him about the surprise?"

"Yes." She admitted. "Mr. Tim really likes him already and is really sad that he has to stay here."

"He's really sad because he thinks that sign means someone else has adopted him." Gibbs corrected her.

"We have to tell him that it was us!" Shyanne exclaimed. "He's too sad!"

"You know what, Shyanne? I agree with you." Gibbs told her. Standing up straight once more, he hollered out. "Hey, Tim! C 'mere a minute!"

Waiting for the young man to return, Gibbs turned to the shelter worker with a grin. "Can I write on that?' he pointed to the _adopted_ sign on Peppers' kennel.

"Sure." She smiled back at him and handed him the pen off her clipboard.

Quickly he wrote on Pepper's sign and returned her pen to her just as Tim came around the corner with Rex who made a beeline for Pepper again.

"Boss?" Tim questioned as he looked down with sadness and affection towards the sheltie.

"See the sign?" Gibbs asked with a smirk.

Without looking, Tim frowned. "He's been adopted already, I know."

"Hey.' Gibbs quietly requested his agent look up at him.

"Boss?" Tim did as he was being asked and looked at his mentor.

"Maybe you should look at it again, Tim." The boss encouraged with a small smile.

Tim sighed and looked up at the sign, feeling his breath catch in his throat at the newly added word next to Pepper's name. _McGee. _He looked at the man in disbelief.

Gibbs nodded. "Was gonna surprise ya, but couldn't _not_ tell you, seeing this."

"Boss, I….wow, I…." Tim could barely speak for the lump in his throat. He hoped the look on his face could speak for him.

His own expression full of both support and humor, Gibbs quietly nodded as he reassured him. "He can stay with me for as long as you need him to."

""Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne asked politely.

"Yeah, Honey."

"I think we should let Mr. Tim have Pepper now." She said in as much of a matter of fact tone as she was capable of.

"You do, huh? Gibbs asked her with a smirk. Looking at Tim once more, he couldn't help but feel the hope vibrating off him. "Yeah, okay. Why not."

Tim's smile lit up the entire space around them. "Thanks, Boss!"

************NCIS***********

It was impossible to say who was more excited in the car ride to the pet store, Shyanne or the dogs. Gibbs had to force himself not to laugh aloud at the way Tim planted himself sideways in the front seat to keep a constant eye on the three backseat passengers. Having been fastened in with the seatbelts and told to 'stay, Rex behind Tim and Pepper behind Gibbs, it had started out calm, but had lasted for only a moment. As soon as Shyanne had reached for Rex, the terrier was right there for her, which of course, lead Pepper to find the need to be there for her too, both of them with their tails wagging and the small bodies wiggling with excitement as they licked her everywhere they could reach her.

Arriving at the pet store, they let the four legged children go potty in the grass outside before heading inside, Tim leading the way as he walked them directly to the isle with the harnesses on it. Lifting two for small dogs, he handed one to Gibbs and began fitting the other one around Pepper's frame. Once the harness was in place, he moved the leash down to the hook on the harness and smiled while rubbing Pepper's neck where the leash had been pulling him. "There. Much better, huh, boy?"

"Mr. Tim what is that?" Shyanne asked.

"It's a harness, Honey. It's easier on their necks and helps control them better without hurting their throats. The collar's fine for holding their tags, but's the only thing I use it for when I have a dog."

"Oh." The little girl responded. "Can you put that one on Rex now?"

"If you want him to have one, sure." Tim waited for her to nod before fitting her dog with the harness. Once that was done, they moved on through the store looking up and down every isle with doggie supplies on it - talking things over and choosing what to get. When they'd finished with the small stuff, they moved on to the food and the kennels and beds.

******************NCIS****************

Once settled back in the car, all three of the back seat passengers seemed to just fade out, both dogs and Shyanne immediately dropping off to sleep. Sharing a smile with Tim, Gibbs turned the car on and drove them not toward his house but in the direction of Ducky's. Tim, tired and not thinking beyond how tired he was, said nothing as he too laid his head back and dozed.

Glancing over at his surrogate son, Gibbs smiled. It was nice being able to spend time with Tim like this morning's outing. He should have been putting effort into doing this long ago like he'd done for Tony. The only trouble was Tony had come looking for the attention when he'd needed it. Tim never had and probably never would have, if this situation with Shyanne hadn't literally fallen into his lap the way it had. And for as much as his team liked to tease him that he was a mind reader, he truly wasn't.

The Team Leader wasn't even sure how he'd zeroed in on the missing part of Tim's life that equaled a father figure, but the more he watched him and paid attention to him, the more he could see it. Maybe it was the long ago noticed clue that Tim was hungry for Gibbs' approval and even for Tony's despite the stuff between them since the Team Leader had given Tony carte blanche to train Tim how he'd seen fit. And while Gibbs was no longer seeing the good idea in that way of training, he did like that it had given him at least that much insight into what made Tim tick on the inside.

Taking a brief moment to look behind him at the sleeping kids, both two legged and four legged, Gibbs softly chuckled to himself. Nothing brings out the kid in a person like getting a new dog. The intensity in which Tim had immediately bonded to Pepper convinced the Team Leader even more that he was on the right track with believing Tim needed some serious time bonding with a father figure. That intensity spoke of sacrifice and a lost treasured pet or two, parts of some childhoods that when experienced, are never easy to put away or left forgotten somewhere for very long.

Gibbs had seen that first hand in the way it had taken Tim all of a minute to completely fall in love with Pepper. Truth be told, he'd never intended to leave the shelter without the sheltie when he'd seen Tim's reaction to him. It had been a tense moment for him when he'd coaxed Shyanne away from the black and white dog and talked her into choosing another dog for herself so that Mr. Tim could have Pepper. He'd been relieved when she'd happily accepted the idea without any problem at all. Knowing she'd probably chosen Rex for his similar coloring with his mostly white coat broken up with a spot of brown here and there, as well as his similar coat style, that of soft hair, rather than rough fur , had him giving her even more kudos for being such a bright child.

Speaking of which, Gibbs pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and hit the speed dial number for the hospital, knowing the number Tim had programmed into it for him would have him speaking directly to the nurse's station outside Andrew's room. Without wasting words or letting his voice get above quiet, he asked for and got an update on the injured man. Sighing with resignation, he closed his phone and put it back in his shirt pocket_. No change. The poor guy was still fighting the infection. That meant still no visitors. Damn it!_

The trouble was Gibbs meant what he'd told Vance. Shyanne needed to see her daddy every day. They'd just do what Tim had made sure she'd been allowed to do that first night and let her see him through the window of his room. That would be better than nothing. All they needed to do was get the dogs settled in at Ducky's first but not leave them alone. Crap. Okay, well Tim could take Shyanne to see her daddy. Gibbs could keep an eye on Ducky's place while the two four legged additions learned the ropes and the rules.

With that settled on his mind, Gibbs was finally able to relax while he drove the rest of the way to Ducky's. He enjoyed the nearly complete silence, broken only with the snoring of the dogs. With a rueful slight shake of his head, he asked himself how this had happened. What had made him think of taking the kids to the animal shelter, he can't recall. But, one thing was for sure, he was glad that he'd done it.

Arriving at Ducky's a short ten minutes later, Gibbs turned the car off and just sat in the silence, letting the napping souls continue to catch their rest. Shyanne had only been asleep for about thirty minutes and really needed at least another 30 to make it a nap worth taking for her. With that firm thought in mind, he laid his own head back against the seat and closed his eyes.

*********NCIS*********

"…quiet, Rex!" Shyanne's not so quiet admonishment of her dog, coming from some distance away from the car had Gibbs' eyes opening in a flash as he lifted his head to search for her. Seeing her sitting on the ground all the way across the front yard as if trying to keep from waking him while she tucked up against Tim's lap, both of them securely holding their dog's leash, had him letting out a whoosh of air as the worry left him.

Without disturbing them, he got out of the car, walked to Ducky's side gate, and unlocked it. Once he had that done and had opened the gate, he called their attention to him. "Backyard's open. Let's let 'em settle in."

Shyanne jumped up and ran with Rex to the backyard, not looking back for a moment. Tim followed more sedately, a smile on his face as he watched the little girl's enthusiasm and energy pour out around her. Stepping inside the backyard, Tim stooped down at the knees and affectionately loved on Pepper. "Okay, boy. Go have some fun." Patting him on his shoulder, Tim unhooked the leash and stepped back.

Shyanne mimicked what Tim had just done and laughed outright at Rex's immediate choice to tackle Pepper unaware from behind. Together the dogs romped around the back yard without a care in the world.

"C'mon, let's get the car unloaded." Tim told Shyanne as he lead her back out of the yard and locked the gate behind him. Together they joined Gibbs at the car, loading up the bags of stuff they'd gotten from the pet store while Gibbs himself carried the dogs' beds and kennels.

"Do you live here too, Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne asked.

"No, Sweetie. Dr. Mallard lives here. When Daddy gets out of the hospital, you'll both be staying here with him so he can help take care of your daddy."

"OH. Wait! What about Mr. Tim?" Shyanne asked sadly.

"Oh, he'll be here too, for as long as Daddy needs his help taking care of you." Gibbs reassured her.

"Oh. Okay." She carried another bag into the house and came back outside. This time instead of returning to the car, she sat down on the front step, her folded arms on her knees and her head down on her arms.

"Shyanne? What's wrong?" Tim asked as he came from the car, his arms loaded down with the big bags of dog food they'd gotten.

"I want Mr. Gibbs to stay here too!" She pouted.

Smiling sympathetically, Tim deferred that problem to the boss already within hearing distance of the problem, as he himself sidestepped the little girl and headed into the house.

Gibbs set the bag down that he'd been carrying and sat down next to their pint sized guest. "I have to get back to work, Shyanne. Mr. Tim and I can't both keep missing work."

Shyanne raised her head up and looked at him, tears leaking out of her eyes. "Oh."

"If you want, I'll come visit."

"YES!" She firmly replied, her expression serious.

"Okay, then. I promise. Even after your daddy's here with you, I'll come visit you."

"Every day!"

Gibbs chuckled and shook his head. "Can't promise you that."

"Why not?" She wanted to know.

"Because, Honey, sometimes our work takes all night."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Ooh." Shyanne said in awe.

"So, I promise you that I will come visit when I can. How's that?"

"Okay." She agreed solemnly, obviously less than thrilled with that compromise

"Besides, you'll hardly miss me. You'll have Rex keeping you company and Pepper and Mr. Tim. You're gonna help Mr. Tim take care of Pepper, right?"

"Yes!" Shyanne exclaimed.

"There. See? And Mr. Tim will be helping you take care of Rex. And Dr. Mallard will be taking care of Daddy and soon you two will get to go back home and let Rex see his home."

"Yes, yes. yes!" Shyanne celebrated as she got to her feet and jumped around excitedly.

"Yeah?" Gibbs double checked with her.

"Yeah!" She vowed.

"Okay, Good. Now, I think the dogs are hungry. Should we feed them you think?" Gibbs teased her as he held the front door open for her with one hand while scooping up the bag he'd set down with the other.

"Yes!" She exclaimed as she flounced into the house.

"Yeah. I think so too." The older man chuckled, closing the front door behind himself and locking it.

*************************NCIS******************

Twenty minutes later found both dogs contentedly snoozing once more, this time in the shade they'd found in the backyard. Tim took that time to watch Shyanne sit down beside them, idly petting them . Clear across the yard, sitting in the lounge chairs on Ducky's porch, he and Gibbs remained silent a moment longer. Then it dawned on the younger man. They'd forgotten to check up on Andrew.

Turning to ask the boss, Tim found himself already under scrutiny. "Already called them before we got here. No change. But she'll be able to see him through the window."

"Okay. I'll take her." Tim offered.

Gibbs nodded as he gestured toward the keys on the table beside him. "See ya when ya get back."

Tim scooped up the keys and walked across the yard, talking quietly to the little girl when he reached her. "C'mon, Shyanne. Let's go visit Daddy now."

Quietly, as if not willing to wake her new baby up, Shyanne got to her feet, took Tim's hand and walked with him through the yard and out of the fence, waiting patiently while he locked it behind himself and headed toward the car with her.

*********************NCIS*******************

"He's really sleeping?" Shyanne asked sadly, as she watched her Daddy remain motionless through the window of his ICU room when they'd reached it some thirty minutes later and checked in with Andrew's doctor who'd had no new news to give them.

"Yes, Honey. He really is sleeping. I promise." Tim told her with all due seriousness as he hugged her just a little tighter to his chest while she faced her father's window.

With tears beginning to slide down her face, Shyanne quietly said. "Get better soon, Daddy. I miss you."


	7. Chapter 7

_Did someone mention trouble?..._

* * *

Driving back from the hospital, Tim felt drained. Here he was driving Gibbs' beloved car that the man had built up with his own two hands, helped generously after the fact by his father and for some reason was trusting Tim to drive it now. That realization was keeping Tim on his toes and it was all he could do to remember to breathe behind the wheel. On top of his worry about his backseat passenger, it was a lot on his shoulders. It felt like the weight of the world.

As he kept his eyes on the road, a piece of his mind veered off course and settled on his emotional struggle wrapped up in taking Shyanne to see her daddy. It was really hard to watch that precious little girl suffer through this ordeal and not baby her too much or cuddle her to death and douse her with sympathy running over. It had been just as hard to do as the nurses insisted and let Andrew sleep instead of waking him up to visit with his daughter. Not being allowed into his room had left Tim no choice though, much as it had hurt him not to let Shyanne visit with the still recovering man. It brought to mind the need to spoil her to make up for it.

But, from his own experience he'd gained from helping to raise his sister, some eight years younger than himself, Tim knew that keeping as much normalcy in a child's life in the midst of a crisis such as this was key to maintaining their mental balance. Glancing in the rearview mirror as he stopped at the red light, he smiled at the sight of her in her car seat behind the passenger seat, softly humming to her doll as she rocked it in her arms. _There you have it._ _Normal._

Returning his eyes to the road in front of him as the car behind him honked, Tim checked the light, noticed it had indeed turned green and eased his foot off the break. Feeling the classic car begin to move forward, Tim glanced over as his eyes took in the a blur of a big blue road hogging vehicle coming toward him. Taking in the breakneck speed it was coming at, as if _their_ light was the one that had just changed to green. Tim stomped on the bake as he yanked the wheel hard to the right, hoping against hope that the other driver would miss them, but making damned sure if it didn't, his side would be the one they hit. "Hold on tight, Shy!" He yelled to her.

**_WHAM!_**

**_*****NCIS*******_**

Tim felt the car spin, the impact as the other vehicle slammed into the middle of Tim's side of his car, pushing them into the next lane of traffic with the light having already turned green, forcing them into the path of an oncoming four wheeled machine with an engine, trouble. **WHAM!**

_Thank God, that hit was in the front on her side!_ Tim thought as he felt himself being bounced around, his head hitting the steering wheel and bouncing back into the seat, was it just once? Everything began to fade away, the screaming from the backseat, the sound of metal slamming into metal. Was that just once, too? _Please, God, don't let her be hurt!_ Tim prayed, just before everything went black.

**_*****NCIS*******_**

Shyanne was beyond scared. Mr. Tim had turned the car so fast, she'd thought he was doing something wrong. She'd looked up and saw the car up close as it hit them, now that it was stuck to them. Even ash they spun around, she saw Mr. Tim's head hit the steering wheel and bounce back. She felt the car being moved and felt them being hit from the front on her side when they did move. But, most of all, she felt very, very, scared! And she felt alone. Mr. Tim wasn't moving. Mr. Gibbs wasn't here. Shyanne was alone but was too scared to get out of her seat. After all, every adult in her life had drilled it into her head not to ever get out of that car seat until they told her to.

Nothing hurt. She was just _really_ scared, for Mr. Tim and for herself. _Was he okay? This was a car accident, wasn't it?_ Tears began pouring down her face as she began to sob with overwhelming fear. _This was how Mommy and Kira and Gammy and Granny all died, wasn't it?_ She never heard the pandemonium outside, as her emotions overloaded. _Was Mr. Tim going to go to heaven now too?_ He had to wake up to answer her! As best she could, she slowed her crying down and the sobs dwindled away, leaving her only the tears and the sniffles. Now she could wake him up! She began yelling through her tears. **"Mr. Tim! Mr. Tim! Mr. Tim!'**

**_*****NCIS*******_**

_"…im. Mr. Tim!..." _returning to consciousness took more work than Tim could manage but the screaming of his name pulled him through it. Blinking to clear his vision, he forced himself to make his hands and arms work. Once he'd gotten them to work, wiping his eyes in hopes of clearing his sight, unbuckling himself so he could check on Shyanne. Shyanne! His heart dropped as he took in the sight of both cars that were now keeping Gibbs' car sandwiched in.

"Shyanne! Honey, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked her urgently as he worked to get his phone out of his shirt pocket, silently thanking God that he hadn't been thinking clearly enough to take it out earlier and lay it in the seat like he usually did.

"I'm... okay, Mr. ...Tim." The little girl told him around her tears. "You ...scared... me!"

"I'm sorry, Honey. It's gonna be okay, sweetheart, don't cry."

"But this is a acc…dent!"

"I know, honey. But you and I are both okay, right?"

"I think so."

"Right. Okay. We just need to sit here and make a phone call. All right?"

"Are we calling Daddy?"

"No, Baby. We're not disturbing daddy. We're calling for the people that take care of accidents."

"Oh."

_And Gibbs_. Tim muttered as his heart dropped to his boots. Dialling 911, Tim quickly gave their information and location. When they asked him to stay on the line, he declined, insisting they had no life threatening injuries that necessitated keeping the emergency agency's line tied up and he had another call of his own to make. Ending that call, he checked on Shyanne once more. "How you doing?"

"I'm okay." She said with as much firmness as she could muster.

"Good." Tim reassured her with a smile.

"Mr. Tim, why do you have to call Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne asked.

"It's his car."

"Oh. Is he gonna be mad at you?"

"Yeah, that's a pretty safe bet." Tim replied dejectedly without giving it any thought. Without moving his head anymore, he continued to look at her as he got her to focus on what was important. "Okay. You and I both need to sit real still until the EMT's come check us over. Can you do that?" Tim asked her slowly and carefully so she'd understand the first time.

"But, Mr. Tim! You already moved!" Shyanne worried.

"I turned my head to check on you, yes. But that's all the moving I'm gonna do." Okay?" He reassured her. "Look We'll keep each other company til the get here okay?"

"Are they coming?" She continued to worry.

"Yes, sweetie. I promise you, they're on their way."

"I'm sleepy." She whined.

"No, We can't go to sleep right now okay?"

"Why not?" the five year old's bottom lip was beginning to stick out as she began to pout.

"Because we need a doctor to look at our boo-boo's first. OK?" Tim told her without hesitation, his tone firm enough he knew she'd take him seriously.

"Then we can go to sleep?" Shyanne asked with blatant hope in her tone.

"As soon as they tell us it's okay." Tim smiled at her. "I promise."

"Do you still have to call Mr. Gibbs?"

"Yeah." Tim raised the phone back up and hit the right button to call the man who was about to be more pissed at him than he'd ever been before. With a resigned sigh borne of fear, physical shakiness and absolute worry, he waited, taking the plunge, he wasted no time with greetings as the man answered the phone already on alert.

_"Tim? Somethin' wrong?"_

_"_I'm sorry, Boss." Tim offered nervously but with abject remorse_._

_"What happened, Tim? Are you all right? Is Shyanne all right?"_

The arriving sirens overtook Tim's ability to hear anything Gibbs said. Frustrated and overloaded, Tim could only swallow hard around the tightness in his throat as he made sure he told Gibbs what the man needed to hear. "We're okay. Just got hit , pushed around and hit again. I think I totaled your car, Boss. I'm so sorry."

"Sir? Are you hurt Sir?" A young paramedic asked loudly as he arrived at Tim's glassless window.

"I want MR. GIBBS!" Shyanne cried out, scared now that there were new people in funny clothes bothering Mr. Tim while he was on the phone.

"Gotta go, the EMT's are here, Boss." Tim snapped his phone shut and looked back at Shyanne and offered the obviously stressed little girl an encouraging smile. "Everything's gonna be okay, sweetie. Ssshhh. Calm down. Okay?"

"SIR!"

"Just check Shyanne over first, please? I'm okay. I made sure neither one of us moved." Tim firmly stated without looking away from her.

"Mr. Tim moved his neck to check on me!" Shyanne told on him as a woman paramedic appeared at her window and began opening her door. "Is he gonna die now?"

"No, sweetie. Mr. Tim's gonna be okay. He was very smart not to let either of you move around." The cute female paramedic patiently explained to Shyanne. "We're gonna put a neck brace on the both of you to make sure you don't hurt anything by accident that might already be hurt, okay?"

Tim needed them to understand exactly what they were dealing with when it came to the 5 year old and he needed Shyanne to stay reminded that this accident was nothing like the one that had taken the three special members of her family to heaven and away from her. "Shyanne. I need you to remember that this is _not_ Mommy's accident. Okay? Can you do that?"

Shyanne's lip trembled as she nodded.

"I promised you we're gonna be okay. And we are because these guys are here to make sure of it. Okay? So, do what they tell you, all right?"

"Okay, Mr. Tim."

"Okay. No one's gonna let anything bad happen to you." Tim vowed.

"Do you promise?" Shyanne asked with all seriousness.

"I promise."

"I promise you too, sweetie." The lady paramedic told her solemnly. She looked at Tim and nodded at him to let him know she got the message.

************NCIS*************

Gibbs had felt his heart almost jump out of his chest as he'd taken that call from Tim, heard the physical pain in the young man's voice, the worry, sensed the helplessness he was feeling and the guilt about that stupid car.

Hearing Shyanne let it be known that she too, was upset and needed Gibbs, had the older man bolting for his truck, desperate to get to both of them. Leaving the resounding squeal of tires in his wake, he made his way towards where Tim had to have been coming from since he'd just come from taking the little girl to visit with her father.

Feeling it from both sides on this one, Gibbs' heart was racing and his compassion was already running over for the both of them. It wasn't long before he'd reached the scene of the accident. Parking as close it as he could get, he bulldozed his way through the crowd as politely as he could, forcefully insisting he was the victims' father and grandfather and was needed by both until at long last, he was allowed to see Tim and Shyanne, both of whom were already being moved to the waiting ambulences.

"Tim!" Gibbs stopped only when when he'd reached his agent's gurney. Taking Tim's hand in his own, he brushed the young man's hair back off his face with the other hand as his eyes traveled to Shyanne's gurney to see for himself that she was in fact all right..

"I'm so sorry." Tim said again as he looked into his boss' eyes. "I know that car was your pride and joy – from your dad. "

"Tim – it's a car, son. _You're_ what's irreplacable." Gibbs looked down at his agent as he spoke to him, his tone soothing and parental as his long dormant abilities to be a dad kicked in.

Swallowing hard, Tim could only nod. "Where's Shyanne?" he panicked now that she'd been taken from the car and out of his sight.

"She's right here, Sir." The female paramedic reassured him as she continued to focus her attention on the little girl.

"Why is she so quiet?" Shyanne? Honey?"

Using his hand to cup Tim's cheek, Gibbs tried to calm him. "Easy, Tim. I've got her. You just let them take care of you."

Fear for the little girl's possible injuries left Tim shaking with worry. Tim couldn't tear his eyes away from those blue ones he was trusting in right now. His world was being shaken like a snow globe and he still couldn't feel anything to hold onto - except Gibbs' strength and his promise to be there.

"She is okay. And I _will _be there, son." The Team Leader vowed, seeing Tim desperately search for something to hold onto.

"Thanks, Boss." Tim whispered as exhaustion threatened to take him under.

"TIM!" Gibbs' hated to see his surrogate son lose the battle to stay awake what with the possible injuries he might have still not having been found or tended to.

"It's okay, Sir. We've got him. Go with the little patient." The male paramedic encouraged him with a nod in the direction of Shyanne's ride.

Gibbs nodded at the EMT's that were loading the now withdrawn Shyanne into her own ambulance "Any injuries?"

"None that we can see." The female EMT told him.

"Give me a minute?"

"One minute." The warning was given to remind him they really needed to move.

Gibbs jogged up to the nearest cop who was actively writing something down and shooting photos of the wreck. "Who's in charge?"

The cop looked up and straigtened up. "That would be my Captain. And you are?"

"NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. MY agent and my granddaughter were in the middle car. "

"Beauty of a car, I'll bet – before this. "

"Yeah. It was. Mine."

"Ooh. Sorry."

"I need copies of _everything_ sent to NCIS as soon as possible. Can _you_ make that happen?"

"Yes, Sir. I certainly can."

"Okay. Good. Thank you." Gibbs turned and jogged back to Shyanne's ambulance and got up in it, perching himself on the edge of her gourney. "Shyanne. Honey, talk to me."

"Mr. Gibbs?" Shyanne asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, Honey?" Gibbs snuggled her even closer when the sight of her tears almost tore his heart out again.

"Are you mad at Mr. Tim?"

"No. Why would you ask me that?"

"He broked your car."

"Honey, he didn't break my car. The people that hit him did that. And even if he_ had_ broken it, I wouldn't be mad at him. What's important is that neither of you got hurt." Gibbs reassured her quietly .

"Promise?" She begged as she tried to quiet her sniffles.

"Promise."

************NCIS*************

Two hours later Gibbs was sitting in the waiting room with Shyanne, who'd been given a clean bill of health with no injuries. While Tim was still being subjected to a battery of tests to make sure of his own similar diagnosis, the youngest and the oldest of the three, patiently waited. Sleepy and finally being left alone to get comfortable, Shyanne was drifting toward sleep while she remained tucked up in Gibbs' lap, just as she had been earlier that morning.

Between the double hit in the car and the scary ambulance ride, not to mention all the poking and prodding by the doctors, she was more than ready to skip out on everything going on around her and get some rest. In an effort to help, the silver haired man kept one of his hands on her back, making small circular soothing motions as she closed her eyes.

"Hey Pretty Girl!" A new voice rang out from the doorway of the room. Startled, Gibbs and Shyanne both look in the direction the voice came from.

"UNCLE DUT!"

In a flash, Shyanne was out of Gibbs' arms and flying across the room into the arms of the newly arrived man who happened to be the spitting image of her father, well, almost. There was no doubt they're brothers or that Shyanne loved him dearly, her repeated calling out of his name giving testament to that. "Uncle Dut! Where were you? Daddy got hurt! Did you bring Jayden?"

"I know, sweetie. I know. Uncle Dut's sorry he couldn't get here sooner. But, he's here now. Okay? No, Jayden's not with me. But ya got _me_!"

"Okay!"

"C'mon, Uncle Dut needs to talk to Agent Gibbs." The young man directed his niece as they walked over to Gibbs together.

"Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Tim are nice, Uncle Dut! Mr. Gibbs got me a dog! Oh, no! Mr. Gibbs! Rex is probly hungry!" Shyanne prattled, full of exciting things to tell her beloved uncle.

Gibbs smiled reassuringly at her. "I fed him before I came, sweetie. I promise both of 'em are fine."

"Good!" Shyanne stated firmly.

The little girl's uncle stuck his hand out, obviously looking for a handshake. "Agent Gibbs. Dustin Edwards. I owe you a lot. Lookin' after my older brother, takin' care of Shy, makin' sure the person responsible's…..well…. you know."

For Shyanne's sake, Gibbs accepted the handshake, but said nothing. Dustin nodded. Sighing heavily, he made a request. "Can you give me just a sec?"

Gibbs nodded and watched with a wry smile as the younger man took his niece by the hand and led her to a chair just ten feet away from them. Dustin Edwards sat down next to his niece and pulled out his phone. "Sweetie, do Uncle Dut a favor and stay right here and watch Peppa Pig on his phone? Or play one of the games I have on there for you. okay?"

"Peppa Pig! Thank you, Uncle Dut!" Shyanne scooted back in her seat and turned her full attention to the phone her uncle handed her.

Traversing the length of the room, Dustin drew Gibbs away from his niece and stood at the window, obviously wanting to talk, both of them keeping a sharp eye on the 5 year old as they stood side by side now.

"I spoke with Captain Reynolds. He filled me in on everything., including the fact that he told you I already hired a lawyer to get custody of Shyanne. I'm not trying to start a war here. I'm doing what I think is right for Shyanne."

"Your brother…."

"I'm not Jordan, Agent Gibbs. I would never hurt my brother or his daughter!" Dustin threw out angrily, while trying to keep his voice quiet.

"Didn't say you'd hurt them. Was tryin' to tell you that your brother 's the one who asked that she not be allowed to go with anyone in his family." Gibbs told him, his tone clearly irritated.

"That doesn't surprise me. Andrew's always suspected foul play in Mamma's accident. He hasn't dealt with her death or Janet or Kiara's very well. Hell, even Janet's mother's death has been hard on him. He loved her like he loved Mamma, almost." The young man replied, his eyes glued to his niece across the room.

"And he thinks one of you in the family has something to do with it."

"Yeah." Dustin breathed out in a tired sigh. "What he can't accept is that no one wanted Mamma gone. Janet maybe – she could be a real….witch – especially to Andrew. But he loved her so much, he put up with anything. " Dustin continued to look over at Shyanne for a long minute before he looked back at Gibbs. "NO one would have EVER hurt Kiara like that or taken her away from Shyanne like that **or** their mother away from the girls like that!"

"Uncle Dut?" The five year old's worried call sounded from across the room.

"It's okay, sweetie. We're just talkin'."

"Okay." Shyanne returned her attention to the phone

"Can't go against his wishes. Have to hear it from him." Gibbs stood firm in his position.

"Okay. Okay. Then let's talk to him. I need to talk to him anyway." Dustin agreed calmly.

"When they'll let us in."

"I'll go check with the nurses." The younger man began to walk across the room towards the door.

Gibbs didn't move to go with him.

Dustin looked back as he stopped. "You're not comin'?"

"I've got an agent still bein' checked out."

"Oh, right. The car accident. I'd ask her about it, but I don't wanna be bringin' anything up for her, ya know?"

Gibbs' respect for the man wedged up a knotch. Still, he couldn't let him take Shyanne without confirmation from Andrew. Somehow he doubted that would happen. Then again, as firmly attached to the man as the 5 year old was, might just mean it will happen.

"I'll go talk to the nurses while you wait. Is he all right, your agent?"

"Hopefully just bumps and bruises." Gibbs replied.

"Mr. Tim made sure that car didn't hit me, Uncle Dut!" Shyanne piped in, obviously hearing more than they'd given her credit for. "Then he went to sleep."

"Well, we'll have to thank him then, won't we?" Dustin asked her as he bent down and kissed her noisly on the cheek before talking to her. once more. "Uncle Dut's gonna go talk to daddy's nurses. Okay?" I'll be right back."

"Promise?" Shyanne asked with obvious worry.

"I promise! Look. you can stand right here in the doorway and watch me while I talk to them if you want."

Shyanne hopped down from her chair and planted herself in the doorway, her eyes not leaving her uncle.

Gibbs chuckled as he picked up the chair she'd vacated and set it down where she could still see the man, picking her up and setting her gently down in it without a word to disturb her concentration. Watching for Tim's return with one eye while watching over Shyanne with the other, soon had the silver-haired man wishing for a fresh cup of hot coffee as worry for him began to settle in. _Tim had lost consciousness. Had his agent fessed up about that to his doctors here? How bad of a hit did he take from that steering wheel? _

With a mental sigh of exhaustion, Gibbs realized he hadn't even spared a moment's thought to look at the state of his car back at the accident scene. He _hadn't_ even cared about it. His only thought and concern had been Tim and Shyanne. Truth be told, he still didn't care to see it. The accident report would reveal it all to him, anyway.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, than he was treated to the sight of Tim being wheeled back towards him, still compliantly sitting in the wheelchair he'd been rolled towards the x-ray technician's room a while ago. With his eyes looking like they were glued wide open, his hands listlessly laying in his lap, his surrogate son was the epitome of exhausted mixed with miserable. Instantly, Gibbs was on his feet and making sure Tim knew he was still there for him.

His tone, quiet, parental and compassionate, the silver-haired man, stooped down to Tim's level and spoke to him. "Hey. How ya feelin'?"

Tim tried to smile at him but couldn't muster it. He ached all over and he had zero energy. The headache from hell wasn't helping either, especially on the heels of all the hurtful poking and prodding he'd just endured. He'd been promised pain meds as soon as he ate a bite of dinner but didn't even want to think of trying to force his stomach to accept anything. A tiny smile crossed his face as he caught sight of Shyanne hopping down from her chair to come join them. "Mr. Tim, are you okay?"

"Yes, Honey. Just tired and sore. Are you okay?" Tim told her as he forced himself to reach out a hand to take hold of her little one.

"I'm fine and Uncle Dut's here to get me and we're gonna go see Daddy and Daddy's gonna let me go with Uncle Dut and we're gonna take my new doggie home and everything!" The little girl's exuberance as she bounced where she stood on her toes was contagious and a lift to their spirits.

Tim looked at his boss in confusion. "Uncle Dut?"

"That…would be me." The man in question returned to their midst and introduced himself to Tim. "You're Mr. Tim, I take it?" Dustin asked with an engaging small laugh.

"That'd be me." Tim admitted quietly. "You're Andrew's brother."

"Here to help, not hurt." Dustin kept his meaning bland for his niece's sake.

Tim nodded tiredly as he physically began to fade. He couldn't deal with any of this right now.

Gibbs nodded at the orderly waiting to take Tim to his room. "We'll be right behind ya."

"No visitors under…."

"This little minx is the exception to the no one under the age of 8." Tim's doctor added as he walked in to talk to Gibbs. "Brief visits only, though. Ten minutes, tops. Agent McGee needs rest."

"Actually, Shyanne and I are going to visit my brother." Dustin intervened.

Gibbs looked decidedly unhappy about that. Tim knew the boss needed to be there for that. "It's okay, Boss. I'll be fine."

The older man nodded as he looked down at Tim. "I'll check in you in a few."

Silently, Tim nodded in agreement. He didn't want the boss worried about him or even focusing on him. Silently, he nodded at the orderly helping him and together they crossed the threshold of Tim's room, quietly closing the door behind them and the doctor who'd silently witnessed it all.


	8. Chapter 8

Walking into the hospital room to talk to Andrew for the first time in three days, Gibbs could only thank God that the man had had the good sense to use the high-backed booster seat for his child - it had saved her from serious injury in the accident today. The NCIS Agent was relieved to see the young man awake and looking much better than he had the last time he'd see him.

It came as no surprise that Andrew's attention was focused on the pint-sized visitor fast approaching his bed now.

"DADDY!" Shyanne exclaimed happily. "You're awake! You was sleepin' when I came to see you last time!"

"I'm sorry sweetie. I've missed you!" Andrew told her as he held out his arms to her, albeit weakly.

Dustin gently picked up his niece and set her down on the bed just as gently in his brother's arms. "How ya doin' Bro?"

"What are you doin' here Dut?" The older man looked at his brother warily, obviously expecting trouble.

"Came to help - check on you - be there for Shy- and you." Dustin replied without hesitation. "And to help you do you know what to you know who." the younger man hedged, obviously keeping focus on the fact that little ears were listening. "We both know why he did it."

"Have to let the law take care of it, Dut. I've got a daughter to think about."

"Lemme take her for you, Andrew. I'll stay at your place. That way..." the young man paused and smiled as he looked down towards the little girl at the heart of the matter on his mind.

They all smiled at the sight of Shyanne now asleep in her father's arms.

Dustin continued on." She can settle back into her routine in her own place, her own room..."

Andrew interrupted to strongly object. "NO."

"I'm not gonna..."

"Carrie still spend time with Jayden?" Andrew's question seemed off the wall and Gibbs was taken by surprise with it.

"Well, yeah, Bro. She's his mom."

"Then no."

"Look man, I know she's irresponsible and lets him see ..." Dustin tried to plead his case.

"The gun, Dut? ...inappropriate towards...no! I know it's her doin' but no..." Andrew insisted even as he kept his voice down so Shyanne could sleep on

"I promise, I won't let them be alone together even for a minute."

"Already got Gabby, Dut. Between them, your hands are full."

"Well, I'm not leavin'. Got a room - and I'm stayin' til you're outta here and I can take you home, help you out." His little brother insisted. "Mamma wouldn't want you goin' through this alone and you know it."

"Dustin." Andrew groaned wearily. "I've had a few years of Janet's mom drilling into our heads whenever Janet and I were fightin' that our kids need both parents. Yours do too."

"Torri's got Gabby. Carrie's got Jayden. I can go visit them when you're sleepin' or something."

"Dut. Thank you, but you need to spend time with your kids."

"I hear ya bro, but we both know that Torri will skin me alive if I leave you here alone."

"He's not alone." Gibbs spoke up for the first time. "He's got Federal Agents and a medical examiner with all the doctorin' ability he'll need while he heals up."

"You're gonna let him stay with you?" Dustin asked in shock.

Gibbs shook his head. "Dr. Mallard, the Medical Examiner who works for NCIS - has agreed to let him stay with him and take care of him. My agent who stumbled across them as this was going on - will be on hand to continue to look after Shyanne."

"Your agent - you mean the one who looks like death warmed over right now?" The younger man's tone was full of skepticism.

"Something happen to Agent McGee?" Andrew asked with worry.

Gibbs speared Dustin Edwards with an angry glare before turning his attention to the patient. "He'll be fine. Might as well tell ya now, he and your daughter were in a car accident earlier. She's fine. Not a scratch on her, thanks to that high-backed booster seat you've got."

"How'd she handle it?" Andrew worried as he watched his daughter sleep peacefully unaware in his arms.

"Don't know. I wasn't there. When Tim called me, she was getting upset, asking for me loud enough I could hear her through the phone. Not sure why since I wasn't with them."

"Why **weren't** you?" Dustin asked almost angrily.

"Because they were just coming to see your brother. Shyanne wanted me to watch over her new dog until they got back." Gibbs answered calmly as he looked directly back at him, not even blinking.

"That's right she said something about you getting her a dog." Dustin grinned as he looked at his brother, obviously waiting for a negative reaction.

"Oh, God. What kind? Please don't tell me it's as big as a horse." Andrew begged tiredly.

"Worse." Gibbs grinned. "It's an ankle biter."

"Wonderful. Exactly what breed is this toy energizer bunny?"

"He's a Jack Russell Terrier. I'll be glad to keep him if you decide you don't want to."

"No. I'd never do that to Shy. She's probably in love with him by now."

"Might wanna consider getting him a four-legged playmate." Gibbs couldn't hide the apology in his tone.

"What? Why?"

"He's attached to the dog that came home with him, for Agent McGee."

Andrew sighed tiredly. "Not gonna worry about that now."

"What the doc say about you checkin' out, Andrew?" His brother asked.

"Day after tomorrow if everything goes okay."

"You need to rest." Gibbs told him. "Got a coupla weeks of recoverin' to get through."

Andrew nodded as he silently looked at his brother.

"Lemme' take her at least for tonight."

"I promise you, Dustin, if you had anything at all to do with..." Andrew's tone was hard and angry yet quiet enough it didn't disturb his daughter.

"I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt your girls - you know that! I had nothing to do with this!"

"Not a believer in coincidence, myself." Gibbs quietly stated.

"What - me gettin' here after your agent and Shyanne were in the accident? If I wasn't in the middle of that coincidence, I wouldn't either. But, this time - that's exactly what it was. I couldn't get here any sooner. That doesn't mean I had anything to do with it!"

"Relax, Dut. I know you didn't have anything to do with today." Andrew told him wearily. "I just had to ask."

"Thank you! Too bad, you're not the only one that needs to believe it. Andrew, you know I had nothing to do with Mamma's accident either, right?"

His brother sighed as he replied. "Yeah. I know that too."

"Good. Then you'll let me take Shy for tonight?"

"Not to my place. She'll have to wait for me to be able to take her home myself for that."

"Okay." Dustin agreed.

"Wake her up before you take her. I don't want her being taken from me without knowing it."

Dustin smiled as he gently woke his niece. "Hey Pretty Girl, time to go."

"Go?" Shyanne asked as her eyelids fluttered a few times before they remained open.

"Hey, sweetie, Uncle Dut wants to spend some time with you tonight. That okay with you?"

"Are you coming, too, Daddy?" The pint-sized voice asked with abject hope shining in her eyes.

"Not tonight, Honey. Two more days and I'll be able to come with you. Okay?" Andrew told her with a small smile meant to encourage her.

"But I wanted to stay with you!" She pouted as her eyes became glassy with unshed tears.

"Honey, Daddy has to sleep a lot. You and I can see each other again when I'm awake after lunch tomorrow - okay? Uncle Dut'll bring you back then." He told her.

"Promise?"

Dustin squatted down in front of the 5 year old - bringing himself where they were face to face at her level. "I promise, Pretty Lady. You have a lunch date with Daddy tomorrow."

"Yea!" She cheered. Looking at her Uncle, she smiled. "Can we go get Jayden now?"

"No, Honey. Jayden's with his...he's not with me tonight." The young man struggled to word his answer in a way that avoided any talk of mothers.

"Oh. But what will we do?"

"Well, we can go get some dinner and then we can watch a movie. How's that sound?"

"Yea! The Good Dinosaur!"

Andrew chuckled. "You knew that was comin'."

"Oh, yeah. Wasn't that the movie that ..."

"Gammy took me to see for my birthday - just the two of us!"

"And got you actin' like Spot for a month! I remember."

"Uh-huh!" Shyanne smiled at the memory. "Can we have popcorn?"

"Of course we can have popcorn, silly! It's not a movie without popcorn!" Her uncle agreed with a grin.

"After a good dinner, Shyanne." Andrew reminded his daughter.

"Yes, Daddy." She replied before beginning to slide down off the bed.

"Hugs and love, Shy." Andrew requested, smiling as his little girl embraced him fully, squeezing him tight. "Love you, Princess."

"Love you too, Daddy." She murmured before sitting up and moving to slide down off the bed

Dustin stepped in and scooped her up into his arms. "There ya go. Ready?"

"Yes! Wait!"

"What is it honey?" Andrew asked.

"What about Rex?"

"He'll be fine with me until you come back. That way when he goes with you - it'll be back to your house where he'll stay with you." Gibbs offered her soothingly.

"Okay." The child readily agreed with that logic, settling back down in her Uncle's arms once again.

As the pair headed out, Andrew called to his brother. "Dustin!"

The younger man turned back. "What's up?"

"DON'T let Dad near her!"

Dustin's face became a vision of determination mixed with anger. "He's not gettin' within 100 mile of either of our kids!" That expression and mood was short-lived as the younger Edwards sibling refocused his attention on the little girl in his arms. "Ready, Darlin'?"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Let's go get some dinner and dinosaurs!"

Watching his brother leave for the night with his daughter, Andrew sighed wearily as he closed his eyes.

Knowing that it was important that the still recovering patient get his rest, Gibbs headed to the door.

"I think I know what you're thinking." Came Andrew's quiet voice from behind him.

Gibbs quickly turned around and retraced his steps, sitting down in the chair beside the man's bed. "About what?"

"You think I haven't been thinking clearly about things. And you're right. Losing my wife, ...my baby girl... and my mother all at the same time...Janet's mother, too, who always treated me like one of her own, there wasn't anything that woman wouldn't do for me or the girls. It was too much."

"I get it."

"I used to be able to talk to her about anything I was upset about. Especially her daughter. I'd never met anyone who was so objective towards the crap their kid pulled on other people as she was. Those two used to fight all the time because Janet couldn't understand why her mom wouldn't side with her all the time."

"Loosin' her and your mom at the same time felt like you were loosin' two moms." Gibbs surmised quietly. He understood exactly why this had been so hard on the young man.

"Yeah. And I know no one did anything deliberate. It was an accident. I just..."

"Wanted someone to blame."

"Stupid, I know."

"Not stupid, Son. Human. Trust me. I've been there." Gibbs sympathized with him.

Andrew sighed again as silent tears slid down his face.

"Get some sleep. Fresh start tomorrow." Gibbs turned towards the door, leaving the man his dignity.

"Thank you. And thanks again for taking care of Shyanne." Andrew managed roughly.

"Welcome." Gibbs offered before he headed out, hoping to be able to talk to Tim's doctor.

Heading down the hall, the Team Leader sighed. He hadn't meant to be gone so long, but at least things were looking up for the Edwards family.

"Agent Gibbs! I've been waiting for you."

"Doctor."

"Your agent tells me that you're his medical proxy."

Gibbs looked at him in silent surprise.

"Hmm. He never said anything to you? It doesn't matter. What matters is that you sign the necessary paperwork for the treatment plan."

"You're keepin' him?"

"Overnight."

"For observation."

"Since he admitted to the moments of unconsciousness at the accident scene, yes."

"Gonna wake him every two hours for a check on his function ability?"

"I've seen nothing that necessitates quite that often. He's sore from being bounced around, but has no other injuries. This is merely a precaution against possible head trauma. Every three hours should suffice."

"I'll do it."

"Agent Gibbs, you're not..."

"Goin' anywhere. Been through this with my other agents a few times. I know the drill. And I'm not goin' anywhere til he's ready to go home."

"All right. But, if you have any problems, you make sure you let the nurses know!"

Gibbs nodded as he stepped into Tim's room and closed the door behind him. A small smile crossed his face at the sight of Tim peacefully sleeping, his hair all tousled and his frame looking almost small under the blanket covering him up to his chest. Walking closer to the bed, the older man frowned as he got a better look up close.

Tim's hands were clenched, his brow was furrowed. His head was beginning to move from side to side in a restlessness that tore a hole in Gibbs' heart. Knowing this angst was probably going to be revisiting Tim throughout the night and that it would be robbing the young man of precious sleep he really needed, the Team Leader did what he thought best to kill both problems with one move. Sitting down on the bed, he scooted over until he was able to scoop Tim up and literally let him sleep in his arms - a father offering his hurting son all the solace and comfort he could. Taking one hand, he began soothingly carding Tim's hair as he quietly spoke to him in an effort to calm him. "Easy, Tim. I've gotcha. Sleep easy son."


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N:_**_ Ducky Returns (Unexpectedly)_

_A bit of fluff and relaxation mixed with a touch of moving along._

* * *

Morning found Gibbs easing out from behind Tim, making sure not to wake him as his feet met the floor and he silently worked to stretch out the kinks sitting with the younger man through the night had given him. The staunch former Marine needed coffee and he needed it before Tim woke up thinking he was alone. The door opened before he reached it, revealing the arrival of his long-time friend, now back from his vacation.

"Good morning, Jethro." Ducky greeted his friend quietly as he handed him a large cup of still steaming coffee. "Thought you might be in need of this."

"Thanks, Duck." The Team Leader offered with a grateful small smile as he accepted the cup and sipped from it with relish. Coming up for air a mere moment later, the younger of the two spoke again. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, my friend. It's actually quite good to be back. How did our Timothy fare through the night?"

"Good, once the restlessness eased."

"Ah." Was all the response Ducky offered, causing Gibbs' eyebrows to go up in question.

"I have spoken with his doctor, as medical personnel who happens to work closely with Timothy and has been his Treating Physician all this time, during working hours at least. He informed me that our young man here is both lucky and ready to go home this morning, once he's eaten a good breakfast and has no issues arising out of the once over he'll give him at nine."

"Good." Gibbs offered.

"Interesting four legged-children you have brought into my home, Jethro." Ducky laughed quietly.

"Damn! Tell me they didn't destroy your house, Duck." Gibbs worried. "I forgot to go back over there and bed 'em down."

"Relax, my friend. Your attention was focused elsewhere with good reason. Besides, there is no damage to worry about. They enjoyed the backyard so much, they barely set foot through the pet door I had installed when I first moved into the place."

Gibbs breathed out a sigh of relief as he took in the good news and watched the older man step more fully into the role of Tim's medical back up by reading through his chart. As he read, flipping page after page when he'd finished reading each one, the older man's face gave no indication of anything being wrong and actually smiled when he flipped the file closed and set it back into the slot for it at the end of the bed.

"Although nothing's broken, Timothy will be quite sore for the next few days. However, that is the extent of it. He is in fact, very lucky, indeed."

"Doesn't feel like luck." Came the sleep-laden voice of the patient from the other end of the bed.

"Hey, Tim" Gibbs greeted him as he walked over to him and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "How ya feelin'?"

"Like I got hit by a car." Tim deadpanned before his face crumpled. "I totaled your car, Boss. I'm so…."

"What'd I tell you yesterday, son?" His mentor asked him quietly, not wanting to come across as angry or even upset with him.

Tim could only nod as he worked to pull himself together. He got the point. It was hard to accept he was being forgiven so completely and so quickly for what had happened but he could work on that.

"Tim." Gibbs pushed, seeing the confusion and uncertainty in the young man's eyes. "Didcha do everything ya could to avoid gettin' hit?"

Tim wiped a hand across his face to clear away the blurriness and the unacceptable moisture from his eyes. Clearing his throat, he looked the man straight on and told him exactly what happened. "No."

"Oh, Timothy!" Ducky sympathized as he spoke to the young man for the first time since he'd awakened

"All I could think about was Shyanne and making sure hers wasn't the side of the car that got hit."

"Go on." Gibbs let him know he knew there was more to tell.

"I turned the wheel sharp so they would hit my side."

"Very good on your part, young man." Ducky sympathized as he spoke to the young man for the first time since he'd awakened.

"Thanks Ducky" Tim offered quietly. "Glad you're back."

"Thank you, young man. Allow me to say, I am relieved that you are all right after the events of yesterday. However, I wish to express my concern at your anxiety over the car. It will not do well for your recovery to hold onto this. You can rest assured that Jethro here, has been much more concerned for your welfare than that of his car. Do consider letting it go, hmm?"

Tim sighed. "I'll try."

"Good. Now, I shall go track down whatever paperwork we will be needing once you are released this morning."

With Ducky gone from the room, Tim's eyes returned to his mentor's face, although he said nothing as he waited for the man to process what he'd just been told.

"You did good, Tim." Gibbs told him. "I'm proud of you."

Swallowing hard around the sudden lump in his throat, Tim could only offer a small smile of thanks.

"Ready to get up and move around?"

"Yeah." Tim found his voice and quickly agreed with the older man's idea.

"Take it slow." Gibbs warned as he raised the head of the bed up a few more levels so that Tim was sitting straight up and could more easily move to get out of the bed.

"Do you know what they did with my clothes, Boss?" Tim asked as he slowly moved his legs around off the bed until each foot felt the floor underneath it.

Gibbs pointed to the young man's 'go bag' sitting in the chair closer to the bathroom.

"Thank you." Tim offered, knowing the boss had to have been the one to bring that for him. Applying pressure to his feet, he tried to bring the rest of his body up off the bed, but felt muscle soreness all over and could barely lift himself. Wearily, he settled himself, refusing to rush it. "Can't believe how much everything hurts."

"Nothin' wrong with askin' for help, Tim." Gibbs reminded him.

"Would you?" The young man threw back at him in frustration. When he got no answer, he let the rest of it out. "C'mon, Boss. You know if you were in my place, you wouldn't ask. No disrespect intended."

"None taken. And you're right." The older man replied evenly. "That why you do all the holdin' everythin' in that ya do, Tim? Because I do?"

"Not like weakness is tolerated on the team." Tim defended himself.

Gibbs sat down in the chair in front of the younger man. "Want you to listen to me, all right?"

"Okay."

"Times change – sometimes circumstances bring the need for the change to light."

"Yeah." Tim already knew that and he knew that Gibbs knew that he knew that already.

"Situations like this one."

"Oh." Now he got it. "So, then no one has to be Superman anymore?" He joked lightly.

"Nope." Gibbs deadpanned. "Just Spiderman."

"That's not fair, I'm afraid of heights!" Tim sputtered in objection as Gibbs chuckled.

***********NCIS***********

1100 found Tim easing himself down onto one of Ducky's Chaise chairs in his backyard, watching Pepper and Rex cavort around him like the carefree puppies overjoyed to see him again. Although he was happy to be out of the hospital and once again surrounded by the carefree carrying ons of his new dog, he'd been far less than happy not to be waiting until Shyanne came for her visit with her father before leaving. His idea had been adamantly ruled against by both Ducky and Gibbs, with Tim's need for his own rest and peace and quiet in which to garner such rest front and foremost in their veto.

Rather than fight them on it, Tim had given in to the concern and wisdom they were offering him. Gibbs had reminded him that Shyanne would be coming soon enough, to Ducky's with her father and Tim would be needed to help look after her for Ducky. With that reminder, all fight had gone out of him and he'd willingly gone home with M.E. Now, with the instruction from older man. to make himself at home and to eat when he got hungry as he headed back to the hospital, As his new four legged friend came and jumped in his lap, settling for some cuddle time, Tim found himself already drifting off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of nature surrounding him, the pleasant breeze drifting through the air of the cloudless sunny day and the warmth of Pepper's body as the sheltie chose to nap with him, curled up on his chest, his nose settled on Tim's shoulder.

***********NCIS***********

The excited chatter of the now very familiar 5-year-old voice pulled Tim from his nap as Pepper jumped down from his lap excitedly and ran to meet her at the back gate as she entered it with her Uncle.

"Rex!" Shyanne shouted as her four-legged baby ran circles around her, jumping up and down trying to find a way into her arms. "Look Uncle Dut! He's happy to see me!" The excited child laughed gleefully.

"He sure is, Sweetie." Her Uncle replied. "He's cute, too."

"Told you!" His niece gloated happily.

"You sure did." Dustin McCarter frowned as he noticed Tim trying to get up out of the chair. "Don't get up. Sorry if we woke you."

"Mr. Tim!" Shyanne shouted excitedly as she rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Are you okay?" She asked when she let go of him and pulled back enough to look at him.

"Yes. I was just taking a nap."

"Because you are still hurt?" The little girl asked with obvious worry.

"Sore. That's all. I promise. I'm okay." The young man promised her.

"Good!"

Tim smiled at her as she turned and ran back to Rex and Pepper and gave them her full attention. Dustin sat down in the chair next to Tim, watching his niece run around the yard with the puppies happily chasing her. "Feels like you got hit by a Mack truck, doesn't it?"

Tim nodded as he agreed. "That's for sure."

"You made sure Shyanne didn't get hurt. That took smart thinkin' and fast movin'. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tim returned quietly. "Instinct really. I've got a younger sister, so..."

"You've been protective big brother all your life." Dustin surmised with complete understanding. "Me, I'm the middle son, got one, am one."

"I'll be that was tough."

"Oh, yeah."

"Did you get to see Andrew earlier?" Tim wondered aloud.

"Yeah. He ain't lookin' so hot, but he'll be fine."

"Been through worse, has he?"

"All us Lewis' have." Dustin said proudly. "Hell, Jordan and me rode down our hill on mattresses and survived!"

"Mattresses. Wow, that's uhm...wow." Tim marveled at the stupidity of that idea and the angel on their shoulders that must have been there to see them through it.

"Uh-huh. I see those wheels turnin'." Dustin joked. "Trust me, we heard it _all_ from _everyone_ about that stunt, especially since Jordan broke his collarbone and damaged his lung doin' it." He laughed. "The funniest reaction came from my sister-in-law's brother, Christopher. I'll never forget it - he said, "Now, I'll have to call you two Dumb and Dumber."

Tim chuckled. "What did you say to that?"

"Had to agree with him. Still answer to it - just for kicks."

Now Tim had to laugh, despite the aches he felt all over when he did. When the pain eased, he sighed. "Guess I need to go find something to eat. Ducky'll kill me if I don't at least try to eat some lunch. Will you be all right out here while I go in?"

"Yeah. Sure. Take your time." Dustin replied. "Seriously. Shy and I ate a while ago. Don't worry about us."

"Okay. I'll bring some drinks out when I come back, though."

"That'd be nice. Thanks. Didn't come here to be a bother. Andrew needs his rest and Shyanne wanted to spend time with Rex. Dr. Mallard told me to bring her here and let her play."

"It's not a problem - at all." As Tim lumbered awkwardly to his feet and stood up, Pepper broke away from playing with Rex and Shyanne to zero in on his movements, zipping across the yard to meet him before he got to the door.

"Hey, Buddy. Wanna go inside with me?" Tim crooned to him as he stopped to bend down and love on him. "Such a good boy. Havin' fun with Rex and Shyanne?"

Pepper's tail wagging amplified as his twelve-pound black and white soft hair covered body quivered with excitement and happiness, giving Tim a reason to smile as he absorbed the canine's love for him and gave back in spades. He'd missed this. In fact, he hadn't had a dog companion he felt close to like this since he was eight when the birth of his sister meant his parents no longer wanted a dog in the house. Now, thanks to Gibbs' generosity and warmth, he had that once more. Tim couldn't help himself as he scooped Pepper up in his arms to snuggle with him for a moment. The sheltie wiggled with joy so much Tim was quick to set him up under his arm like a football. Holding him wrapped in one arm, he used his other hand to reach over and caress the dog's face. "Such a good boy."

As he made his way inside, Pepper under his arm, Tim's thoughts turned to his upcoming lease renewal and how he was going to handle keeping this bundle of love and energy in spite of that. This was a no-brainer, really. He wasn't allowed pets where he was now and he had the money saved to make the bigger jump to home ownership where he could have twenty dogs if he so wanted. With a huff of laughter at the absurdity of that thought, Tim relaxed into the idea that was fast becoming a plan. His lease was up in two months. He could do this. Looking at Pepper, he smiled broadly. "Hell, I wanna do this!"

His reward for such enthusiasm was a succession of licks to his face by his now completely besotted four-legged friend.

***********NCIS*************

Having set Pepper down a fresh bowl of water when they reached the kitchen, Tim was quick to wash his hands before even opening the refrigerator in search of some lunch. His eyes were met with a covered plate with his name already attached to it with a sticky note. "_Timothy. Please eat some lunch."_

As he pulled the plate out of the refrigerator, he couldn't help but remark aloud. "Oh, Ducky. What would we ever do without you?"

"That, my boy, is a very good question indeed." The Scotsman remarked as he entered the room unexpectedly. "Are you only now eating your lunch, Timothy?"

"I kinda slept longer than I'd planned." Tim explained.

"Ah. I see." The M.E. replied. "Well, rest is important as well. Why don't you take the delightful Pepper back outside while I heat up your lunch. I'll have drinks ready for all in a few moments as well."

"I'll carry the drinks, Ducky. Just let me let Pepper back out first. C'mon boy. Let's go play with Rex!" Tim threw excitement into his voice as he drew his pet to the porch door and let him out before returning to the kitchen to help.

"You have bonded remarkably well with him in the short time you have had him, Timothy." Ducky remarked.

"Shelties are easy to bond with." Tim explained.

"You've had one before? As a child?"

"Yeah." Tim sadly admitted. "My parents gave him away when Sarah was born. They didn't want a dog around the new baby. Or the dog hair."

"That must have been very difficult for you. You weren't but eight, isn't that right?"

"Yeah. It was tough." Tim replied while he poured four glasses of iced tea and set them on the tray the older man had set on the counter to be used.

"Well, I can guarantee no one will be taking Pepper from you, young man." Ducky reassured him seriously, as he pulled Tim's lunch out of the microwave.

"Got that right!" Came the unexpected back up into the conversation as Gibbs allowed his presence to be noticed from just inside the porch doors.

Tim smiled broadly. "Thanks."

"Decided what you're gonna do with him?" Gibbs asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

"My lease is up in two months and I've saved enough for a down payment on a house." Tim replied proudly. "I'm gonna start looking for a place with a good sized yard for Pepper."

"Excellent idea, Timothy!" Ducky applauded him.

"Agreed." Gibbs offered as he lifted the tray of drinks Tim had just added one more to. "C'mon, let's go give these clowns out here a drink before they die of thirst."

Chuckling at Gibbs' rare display of humor, they trouped outside and settled in at the picnic table. Watching in amusement as Dustin lifted Shyanne to his shoulders and jogged across the yard towards them, they couldn't help but laugh as he gave her an airplane ride down from his shoulders to the table with a grin, causing her to squeal with glee.

"Somethin' wrong, Agent Gibbs?" The younger man asked with genuine concern once the little girl had settled next to Ducky and begun drinking her iced tea.

"Nope. Just checkin' in." The Team Leader answered calmly as he reached over and tweaked Shyanne on the nose, garnering a giggle from her. "Makin' sure nothing needed to be done for tomorrow.

"Now that you mention it, Jethro, we'll need to prepare my guest room in a little bit, in preparation for his discharge from the hospital tomorrow. I'll need the two of you to help move things around as I do not want Timothy to do anything strenuous just yet."

"Not a problem, Duck." Gibbs reassured him as he relaxed and sipped his drink. "DiNozzo and and Da'vid aren't due back til tomorrow. Nobody in the office anyway."

As Pepper began barking excitedly at their feet, Tim shook his head at him and sternly told him 'No. Go play." he watched in amusement as his pet actually decided to just lay beside him, watching him carefully. Turning his attention to his sandwich, he was shocked to hear Gibbs call the dog over to him. He was even more surprised when the boss proceed to throw a toy across the yard for the sheltie and laugh when Rex joined in the fun, trying to take the toy from Pepper.

Watching the dogs play and seeing these people come together for each other, Tim relaxed for the first time since the wreck. This was nice!


	10. Epilogue

_Tues, March 26th 2012_

Waking much more rested the next morning, Tim takes the time to stretch once he's gotten out of bed. Next on his agenda is a long hot shower since he's alone in the house for the time being. Ducky, he knows has already left to get Andrew discharged from the hospital and Dustin will be here within an hour to drop Shyanne off with him while he goes to help his brother and Ducky.

With Dustin taking Shyanne with him again last night after they'd gotten the guest room set up for Andrew and had a good dinner around Ducky's dinning room table, Tim had been able to turn in early and sleep well. He smiles softly to himself now as it hits him that for some reason, the awful dreams that plagued him in the hospital, hadn't revisited him last night. Definitely something to be grateful for. Excited yipping from Rex and actual barking from Pepper out in the backyard breaks through Tim's thoughts and he speeds up heading down to the breakfast he knows he's expected to eat.

Wanting some time with Pepper before Shyanne arrives, Tim skips breakfast momentarily but fixes himself a cup of coffee and takes it with him outside. "Hey, buddy. Got to come out early this mornin' huh? Ducky's got you spoiled already with the doggie door, doesn't he?" Tim croons to his pet as he sets his cup of coffee down on the table and scoops him up into his lap and loves on him, making sure to scratch Pepper where he loves it best, behind his ears. "You like that?" Tim teases as he stops for a minute.

Pepper jumps down and races across the yard and races back as if suddenly unable to stop running, Rex trying to keep up. Tim smiles as the energized dogs run back across the yard. Thinking of trying something he used to do with his first sheltie, Tim opens his arms wide for Pepper and watches in awe as he too, jumps up into Tim's arms, as if knowing the sign for an open armed embrace. Tim laughs. "Oh, yeah! This is awesome!" Hugging Pepper to his chest now, Tim sits back down with him and cuddles with him quietly, Rex laying tiredly at his feet.

Moments go by and Tim steels himself to do what he has to. "Sorry, Buddy, Gotta go eat before Shyanne gets here." Setting Pepper down on the ground, Tim picks up his coffee cup and heads back inside, both dogs dogging his steps as they keep up with him. "You wanna come with me, huh? " He chuckles. "Ok, but you have to behave in the house."

He's amazed at how well both four footed kids actually do behave as he sets about warming up his breakfast and rewarding them with an early morning breakfast of their own. "Good boys!" Knowing they'll be right behind him as he leaves the house, Tim closes the door and shuffles over to the picnic table to enjoy the fresh air while he eats. Sure enough, it's not a minute later and both dogs are sitting at his feet patiently waiting.

"Oh, no. No food from the table. Go play." Tim firmly tells them both. "Go on. Go play."

Without further hesitation, both Pepper and Rex are gone from his view, running around the yard in circles, entertaining him with their antics while he eats. "Hmm. Maybe I'll have to get Pepper his own playmate as well as a house."

**********************NCIS***********************

"I'm so happy Daddy's coming home today!" Shyanne exclaims excitedly for the umpteenth time since being dropped off with Tim a mere twenty minutes ago.

"I know, Honey." Tim tells her patiently. "So let's make sure the dogs are all tired out when he gets here okay? That way they'll stay out of the way and even stay quiet and he can get some rest. He's gonna need a lot of that. C'mon let's play with them some more."

"Okay!" Without another word, the five year old is across the yard like a shot calling for her pet, laughing contagiously at his and Pepper's antics.

Tim thinks about the progression of things in her father's case. Everything could have gone much worse. Luckily, they had the guilty party and all the hard evidence they needed. None of Andrew's family had come to steal his daughter from him so they could all rest easy on that note. And to make things even better, Andrew was finally well enough to come home to his daughter. With Ducky's help, the man will be back on his feet soon and then he'll be able to take his daughter home and resume their lives together, hopefully having come out of this with a few more friends and a brighter perspective on life now that he seems less stressed out as if he's no longer expecting trouble at every turn.

Even his house hunting is looking up. In the short time he's been looking this morning, he's found a few prospects that he's looking forward to actually going to see and to make things even more real and interesting, Gibbs has volunteered to go with him when he checks them out.

Speaking of Gibbs. Tim has to stop on that thought. He's amazed at the Gibbs' he's seen this past week. It's a side to the man he never knew existed or expected to see. He can't help but be touched at the time and effort the man has poured into being there for Tim, even if it was for Shyanne's sake.

*************NCIS************

_Two Months Later_

With no further complications, thanks to Ducky's extra-careful watchfulness and the patient's determination, Andrew's recovery has been quick and steady, allowing him to return to his own life with his daughter and Rex in just six weeks. For the sake of keeping the agents and the good M.E. updated on his progress and at the same time giving them time with his daughter, the recently recovered father has promised to come back to Ducky's weekly for at least the next month. Dinner on Saturday nights is the plan for such get-togethers and Tim is looking forward to them.

He misses Shyanne and her exuberance and love of life but he's found his own once more, thanks in large to Gibbs and of course, Pepper. Searching for a home to call his own, with Gibbs' help, they'd found the best fit surprisingly enough, right next door to the boss himself. The young man had hesitated to accept the idea of buying the house next to the boss, that is until the Team Leader himself had promised him he didn't have any reason not to back Tim's plan. With that support in his pocket, the sale had gone through very quickly thanks in part to Tim's large down payment as well as his restored credit rating and hefty savings account with Thom E. Gemcity written all over it.

Sitting on his own back porch now as Pepper frolics in the yard, he's still able to marvel and enjoy at the changes in his life that have come about. It's just as Tim figured it would be, along with some pretty amazing frosting for the cake this has been. Who'd have thought that he and Gibbs would have worked their relationship over the rough spots at long last, smoothed out enough that he actually enjoys talking to the man now? And who on earth would have ever thought Gibbs would enjoy spending time with Tim like this?

All it had taken was a little digging down into the deeper self that he's long kept hidden away for fear of exposure or ridicule. The part of himself that can admit he needs help or feels personal pain. Unexpected long talks with Gibbs while pouring over available houses for sale had opened that door and it hadn't yet closed between them. That's what had made it possible for Tim to openly field Gibbs' thoughts on the idea of his moving in next door. it was the only reason Tim felt truly comfortable doing so.

Tim had been shocked to the roots of his hair when the boss had suggested opening the fence between the two yards for the sheltie. The older man had even strongly hinted that once Tim had settled in there would be a new friend for Pepper to spend time with while the humans who lived with them worked. The older man had even laughed outloud when Tim told he he'd be worried about the 'door's always open' creed Gibbs lived by. His answer had shocked Tim even more. "Nuthin' wrong with changin' that."

"You all right?"

Startled by the question coming from the boss who'd just arrived through the yard, Tim smiles as the older man sits down and offers Tim a cold drink. "Yeah. Thanks to you, I'm more than okay."

Gibbs shrugs. "All I did was help, Tim."

"No, Boss. You did a lot more than help. You took the time to actually talk to me."

"Long overdue, Tim. Long overdue."

"Better late than never, Boss." Tim smiles as he takes a drink of his coke, relishing his own chance to hide behind a drink for once. "Better late than never."


End file.
